Referee Anthony Taylor harassed by Roma fans at Budapest Airport
English referee Anthony Taylor and his family faced harassment from a group of Roma supporters at Budapest Airport following the Italian team’s loss to Sevilla in the Europa League final. Videos on social media depict Taylor and his family being escorted from a cafe to a secure area by airport security as fans targeted the referee after a contentious match on Wednesday evening. Footage on Twitter reveals a chair and bottle being thrown towards Taylor and his group, which included two women.
The English referees’ organisation, PGMOL, issued a statement expressing their dismay at the “unjustified and abhorrent abuse” directed at Taylor and his family. They pledged to continue providing full support to the referee and his loved ones. Sky Sports News has also reached out to UEFA for a statement.
Sevilla’s victory on penalties marked Roma manager Jose Mourinho’s first defeat in a European final. The match saw Taylor issue a record 14 yellow cards, the highest number in a Europa League game, and nearly 30 minutes of stoppage time. Following the match, widely shared social media footage showed Mourinho verbally attacking the officials in the car park, calling their performance a “disgrace.”
UEFA is awaiting the referee’s match report before deciding on any potential action against Mourinho. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher praised Taylor’s performance in an interview with Sky Sports News, stating, “I don’t think he could’ve done anything different.” Gallagher further acknowledged the immense pressure Taylor faced during the match, both physically and mentally.
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