English referee Anthony Taylor was harassed by a mob of angry Roma fans and was the target of “unjustified and abhorrent abuse” at Budapest Airport in shocking scenes after the Europa League final.
Video footage emerged of the Premier League official trying to evade the pack of Roma supporters as he travelled home after refereeing Wednesday night’s final, which Roma lost on penalties to Sevilla in an ill-tempered contest.
Taylor was travelling home with members of his family but had to be shielded by airport security staff after he was confronted by the group. The footage shows a chair and drinks being thrown at Taylor and his team as they tried to make their way through the crowd.
The referee was criticised for his performance in the final by Roma manager Jose Mourinho, who confronted Taylor in the car park of the stadium after the match and called him a “f***ing disgrace” after his team’s defeat.
Refereeing body PGMOL said it is appalled by "unjustified and abhorrent" abuse directed at Taylor in a statement released on Wednesday night. Uefa is awaiting Taylor’s report on the match before deciding whether to take action against Mourinho for his rant.
Taylor booked Mourinho during the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time before Sevilla sealed their seventh Europa League triumph by winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out.
Tempers simmered on and off the pitch in a disappointing final, with 13 players shown yellow cards, seven of them to Roma players, while fourth official Michael Oliver had his work cut out to keep control of both dug-outs.
The game was littered with delays, with a total of 25 minutes’ stoppage time added to the 120 minutes of playing time.
Includes reporting from PA
