ANTHONY TAYLOR BREAKS HIS SILENCE

Premier League official Anthony Taylor exposed how his household never attends to see top matches anymore as they have to suffer abuse directed at him incessantly.
Speaking with BBC Sport, the UK referee recalled the "worst scenario" he had been through when he was abused by angry Roma fans following the 2023 Europa League final in Budapest.

Italy's side lost to Sevilla on penalties after a foul game, in which Taylor issued 13 yellow cards.
Roma's former manager Jose Mourinho criticized Taylor in his post-match news conference before directing a foul-mouthed rant at him in a car park, calling his display a "disgrace".

The Portuguese was subsequently banned for four games by European football association UEFA.The following day, Taylor was attacked by Italian club supporters when he was walking through an airport.A chair and drinks were thrown at him before he was ushered to safety.

The referee, who revealed that family no longer travel with big games."That is certainly the worst situation I've ever had to deal with regarding abuse," he said."Not only because I was traveling with family members at the time, but also because it displays how people's behavior can influence others."It makes you wonder and question whether you were wrong to go on holiday with your family in the first place."

Taylor, who refereed at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, stated that the advent of VAR added increased pressure on match officials."The level of scrutiny and the level of analysis and debate about Premier League football means that everyone has a desire for perfection," he said."Perfection doesn't actually exist in real life. We're demanding our referees to make every right call."

Taylor was questioned as to whether he had ever thought about retiring as a referee.
"There's certainly been moments - and I'm not going to be the first to say this - there's certainly been moments where you are sat there thinking, 'Is it worth it?'," he said.