While speaking candidly to journalists for the first time about the personal toll of officiating at the highest level, Taylor admitted that growing hostility towards referees has left him questioning whether the job is “all worth it.”

Taylor, who has refereed in the Premier League for nearly 15 years, has also officiated major international tournaments, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Euro 2020, and the finals of both the UEFA Super Cup and Nations League.

He believes the increasingly toxic, “win-at-all-costs” culture in football is harming the mental health and performance of referees both current and future.

One of the most distressing incidents in his career, Taylor said, occurred following the 2023 Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla. Taylor issued 13 yellow cards during the match, which featured 25 minutes of added time across regular and extra time. Roma manager José Mourinho, whose side lost in a penalty shootout, publicly called Taylor a “disgrace” twice in his post-match press conference.

The confrontation escalated when Mourinho waited for Taylor in a car park and berated him directly an incident that led to a four-match UEFA ban for the Portuguese coach. Things worsened when Taylor, traveling with his family, was later confronted and shouted at by angry fans in Budapest Airport.

“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor said. “Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there were actually no major mistakes.”

Taylor said the post-match narrative felt like an attempt to “shift focus on somebody to blame.”

“For me, that’s a great source of disappointment, frustration, and anger,” he added. “Why that’s acceptable, I don’t know because I’m sure those individuals wouldn’t like somebody to turn around and say that to them or their own children.

“It makes you reflect on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place. They haven’t been to a match since.”

When asked if he believes Mourinho’s actions influenced the fans’ behaviour, Taylor responded: “Yeah. I think if we’re being honest, yeah.”

Source: Punch