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Constantly involved in discussions in the final: José Mourinho with referee Anthony Taylor
Photograph:
Adam Davy / dpa
English referee Anthony Taylor has been massively harassed by Roma fans on his departure after the Europa League final in Budapest, according to videos and reports at the airport. "We are appalled by the unjustified and despicable abuse directed at Anthony and his family," the English Premier League Professional Referees Association said in a statement. Videos on social media showed the incident, Taylor himself did not initially comment.
The referee had been insulted after the victory of Sevilla FC in the penalty shootout against AS Roma, especially by Roma coach José Mourinho. The Portuguese had watched Taylor in the underground car park of Budapest's Final Arena and described him as a "disgrace", among other things. Mourinho faces a penalty from the European Football Union Uefa.
Roma executive Tiago Pinto continued the attacks on Taylor in a statement to Italian news agency Ansa on Thursday. In it, he called the refereeing performance "not balanced in disciplinary terms".
Referee with strong performance
The Englishman had withdrawn a penalty decision against the Andalusians in the 75th minute after video evidence – a correct decision. During the match, Mourinho had also vehemently demanded a sending off for Sevilla's Argentine midfielder Erik Lamela.
Experts agreed afterwards that Taylor had shown a good refereeing performance. But it wasn't easy for him: there were repeated discussions, both on the pitch and in the coaching zones of both clubs. In total, the English referee had to show 14 yellow cards, one of which Mourinho received in extra time.
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