Mourinho accused of insulting referee

UEFA has accused manager Jose Mourinho of insulting referee Anthony Taylor after the Europa League final.

Mourinho reacts to referee Taylor during the Europa League final at the Puskas Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, on May 31. Photo: Reuters — Mourinho reacts to referee Taylor during the Europa League final at the Puskas Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, on May 31. Photo: *Reuters*

On June 2nd, UEFA announced that Mourinho had been charged with "offensive and insulting remarks against the referee," and stated that the organization's Ethics and Disciplinary Control Body would decide on the matter "in due course."

UEFA also accused Roma of "throwing objects, setting off fireworks, causing damage, crowd disturbance and improper conduct" during the final in Budapest, Hungary. Winning team Sevilla was also accused of allowing "fans to storm the pitch, throw objects, set off fireworks and engage in inappropriate behavior".

Mourinho, along with Roma players and fans, repeatedly insulted and attacked referee Taylor both during and after the defeat to Sevilla at the Puskas Stadium on May 31st. Believing Roma were unfairly treated, Mourinho verbally abused Taylor in the parking lot. "You shameful bastard. You son of a bitch," he said, then repeated before getting into the Roma team bus, "Congratulations, you shameful bastard."

Coach Mourinho insulted the referee in the parking lot. — Mourinho insulted referee Taylor in the parking lot.

At the post-match press conference, "The Special One" also criticized Taylor for only giving yellow cards to Roma players and for sending off Erik Lamela instead. Meanwhile, Roma defender Diego Llorente accused: "The referee blew the whistle in favor of Sevilla. I'm surprised because he's a famous international referee."

Upon arriving at the airport to depart Hungary on June 1st, Taylor was surrounded and verbally abused by numerous fans. Some extremists even chanted "kill him" and threw water bottles and chairs at the English referee and his family. Following this, Budapest airport announced the arrest and initiation of criminal proceedings against a man accused of assault.

Roma fans attacked referee Anthony Taylor at Budapest airport. — Roma fans attacked referee Taylor at Budapest airport.

On the same day, Roma's general manager Tiago Pinto continued his criticism of Taylor. "We don't usually comment on situations like this, but after analyzing both the most obvious incidents and those that seem less obvious, the referee really lacked balance in terms of discipline," he told Italian media.

Subsequently, the Professional Referees' Organization (PGMOL) issued a statement saying that it was "horrified by the senseless and abhorrent abuse" inflicted on Taylor and his family as they attempted to return home after the Europa League final. Meanwhile, a Premier League spokesperson said Taylor was "one of the league's most experienced and successful referees," and affirmed that they would "continue to provide full support" to the 44-year-old.

Sevilla 1-1 (pen 4-2) Roma — Key events of Roma's defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League final.

Italian media dubbed the incident "The Taylor Chaos" and suggested Mourinho bore some responsibility for creating such a tense atmosphere among Roma fans. Meanwhile, Ref Support UK called on UEFA to take strong measures to protect referees, while former England referee Mark Halsey called for a heavy penalty against Mourinho.

According to the British newspaper Sunsport , Mourinho faces the risk of a five-match ban for making comments about the fairness of UEFA referees. Sky Sports reports that UEFA is awaiting the match report from the refereeing team before deciding whether to penalize the Portuguese coach.

Comment (0)