Anthony Taylor referee abuse has forced his family to stop attending games. The Premier League official says the hostility is affecting referees’ mental health
Anthony Taylor referee abuse has reached such a level that the Premier League official’s family no longer attends his matches, he has revealed in a candid interview with BBC Sport.
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Taylor, who has officiated in the Premier League for nearly 15 years and took charge of major international finals, said the constant threats and hostility he faces — both in stadiums and beyond — have deeply impacted his personal life and mental wellbeing.
“[Refereeing] makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place,” he said. “They haven’t been to one [match] since.”
The 45-year-old was speaking publicly for the first time about the emotional toll of refereeing at football’s highest level.
He admitted that the level of abuse has made him question whether it’s “all worth it”.
One of the most traumatic episodes came after the 2023 Europa League final in Budapest, where Taylor was aggressively confronted by then-Roma manager José Mourinho following his team’s penalty shoot-out loss to Sevilla.
Mourinho, who had called Taylor a “disgrace” in a press conference, later accosted him in a car park — behaviour that earned the Portuguese coach a four-match ban.
Taylor, who had issued 13 yellow cards during the match, insisted there were no major officiating errors.
However, the referee was still met with verbal abuse from angry fans at Budapest Airport while travelling with his family.
“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor recalled. “It also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others.”
He believes that Mourinho’s outburst influenced the public’s reaction: “If we’re being honest — yeah.”
The experienced referee has officiated at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Euro 2020, the European Super Cup, and the UEFA Nations League final.
Despite his impressive CV, Taylor says the culture of blame in football — particularly the “win-at-all-costs” mentality — is damaging not only referees but the future of officiating.
He warns that young referees may be deterred from entering the profession, while current officials are left to deal with the mental and emotional fallout of sustained abuse.
“It’s a great source of disappointment, frustration, anger,” Taylor said. “Why that’s acceptable, I don’t know — because I’m sure those individuals wouldn’t like somebody to say that to them or their own children.”
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His testimony adds to the growing concern about the treatment of referees in modern football, with several high-profile figures and former officials recently calling for greater protections, accountability, and cultural change.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
