Taylor: Being blocked after the 2023 Europa League final was the worst experience. In fact, there was no major misjudgment in that game.

October 10th Premier League referee Anthony Taylor recently publicly criticized the current culture of "perfect expectations" for referees, and revealed that his family no longer attends games because of the abuse he suffered. In an exclusive interview with BBC Sports, the 46-year-old referee talked for the first time about the experience of being surrounded by Roma fans at Budapest Airport with his family after the 2023 Europa League final. He admitted that the harsh law enforcement environment made him often reflect on "whether it is all worth it."

The airport siege incident became the darkest memory.

After Sevilla defeated Roma on penalty kicks in the 2023 Europa League final, Taylor caused controversy by showing 13 yellow cards and 25 minutes of stoppage time. Then Roma coach Mourinho was suspended for four games after confronting Taylor in the parking lot. Later, Taylor and his family were abused by fans at the airport. "That was the worst experience I have ever experienced, " Taylor said. "Not only because the family members were traveling together, but it also highlighted the harm of extreme behavior to innocent people - and in fact there was no major miscarriage of justice in that game. "

The winner-take-all culture erodes the mental health of referees

Talking about whether Mourinho's behavior incited fans' emotions, Taylor said bluntly: "Honestly, yes." This senior referee who has officiated the 2022 World Cup and the 2020 European Cup emphasized that the "win at all costs" mentality in the football world is damaging the mental health of referees. "When the media, commentators and even former referees continue to deny you, people's psychological defenses may collapse. Nowadays, the spread of false narratives and malicious conspiracy theories after the game has created an extremely harsh law enforcement environment. "

The grassroots law enforcement environment is worrying

Taylor is also worried about the current situation of grassroots football: "Every weekend in any community stadium in the UK, you can see parents Insulting young referees. This is not the soil for nurturing the growth of referees. Regarding the view that top referees should be subject to strict supervision, he responded: "I agree with the necessity of supervision, but the success or failure of the 38 rounds of the league is never determined by a single penalty. Those who claim that 'one penalty ruins the entire season' are completely contrary to the facts."Mini-game recommendations:Funny Pet Haircut