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On Friday, UEFA condemned the harassment that AS Roma fans had directed at referee Anthony Taylor and his family during the Europa League final, while Jose Mourinho, the manager of the Serie A team, was accused of using abusive language against a match official.
Following Roma’s loss to Sevilla in the UEFA second-tier final shootout on Wednesday, Taylor came under criticism.
Taylor issued 14 yellow cards during the game, which is the most ever in a Europa League match. He also played over 30 minutes of stoppage time in total.
Videos of Roma fans harassing English referee Taylor and his family at the Budapest Airport surfaced on the internet the day after the match.
“UEFA vehemently condemns violent behaviour directed towards its referee Anthony Taylor and his family. Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the spirit of fair play and respect that UEFA upholds,” UEFA said in a statement.
“UEFA maintains a close collaboration with local police and airport security starting from the referees’ arrival in host cities.”
“However, we are constantly striving to enhance the security measures for officials in coordination with local authorities. We will carefully assess the incidents and incorporate valuable insights into our future event planning processes.”
The European football governing body charged Mourinho on Friday as part of disciplinary proceedings following the final, when he was caught yelling expletives at officials outside the Puskas Arena.
