Richard Keys has spoken out about his forthcoming exit from beIN Sports, dismissing suggestions that he plans to retire from broadcasting.
Reports emerged last week that the network would not be renewing Keys' contract when it expires at the season's end, with his long-standing broadcasting partner Andy Gray, 70, also departing.
The 68-year-old addressed his departure in a recent blog post, clarifying the situation.
He wrote: "There has been no fall out between myself and beINSPORTS."
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Keys expressed his fondness for the Gulf state where he has been based for over a decade, stating: "I've loved every minute of my time in Qatar - a country that means the world to me. I have a deep affection for it, but it's time for me to move on.
"I'm not retiring - simply changing course. There's a whole lot more to come yet."
May will mark both Keys' and Gray's final broadcasts for the channel.
Andy Gray and Richard Keys used to work for Sky Sports | GETTYThe pair have called Doha home since 2013, having relocated two years after their controversial departure from Sky Sports.
Their exit followed a sexism scandal in January 2011, when off-air remarks about assistant referee Sian Massey were recorded and subsequently leaked.
Gray was dismissed after footage emerged of him making inappropriate comments to presenter Charlotte Jackson, while Keys resigned from his £500,000-a-year position shortly after.
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Five facts about the Premier League | PA/GETTY/REUTERS/GBNEWSDuring their time at beIN Sports, Keys and Gray became the faces of Premier League and Champions League coverage broadcast across 24 nations throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
The duo also took on presenting duties at the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar.
According to The Telegraph, both presenters are expected to return to the United Kingdom.
Keys is set to permanently move in with his wife Lucie Rose, 37, following years of maintaining a long-distance relationship.
The couple wed secretly in June 2023 during a private ceremony in Devon that reportedly cost £20,000.
Richard Keys (pictured) is poised to return to the UK this summer
| BEINSPORTSNeither of Keys' children, son Joshua nor daughter Jemma, attended the wedding.
Jemma had previously been among Lucie Rose's closest friends before her father's romantic involvement began.
Keys ended his 36-year marriage to Julia Keys when their relationship became public in 2016.
His former wife has spoken of how the affair devastated her while she was recovering from thyroid cancer, and described the impact on their children's lives.