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AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho faces a two-game touchline ban as UEFA charged him for abusing referee Anthony Taylor after the Europa League final earlier this week. The 60-year-old Portuguese manager used insulting and abusive language against the referee in the final summit of the Europa League against Sevilla. He was seen repeatedly calling the English referee ‘disgrace’ in the stadium’s car parking in Budapest after the final game, which ended with Roma losing in a penalty shootout.
Notably, Taylor was targeted by angry Roma fans at the Budapest Airport. Mourinho, if found guilty, will be banned from the dugout for a minimum of two matches. Not only this, but Roma were also charged over crowd disturbances after their fans threw objects and lit fireworks. Mourinho also went on a lengthy diatribe regarding Taylor’s performance in his press conference. He said, “This is a European final and with this kind of refereeing, it is hard to accept. If we talk about refereeing situations, it’s not two or three: it is many, quite apart from the big decisions. Those of us who have been in football a long time realise immediately what is going on.
He added, “Pellegrini falls in box and given a yellow card; [Lucas] Ocampos did exactly the same thing and he doesn’t get one. It’s a scandal. VAR called the referee and shames Ocampos but there’s no card given. [Érik] Lamela – who, by the way, scored one of the penalties – deserved a second yellow but didn’t get it. And let’s not even talk about the big decisions. That’s just the small details.”
After Taylor was targeted by Roma supporters at the Budapest Airport, UEFA ‘vehemently condemned’ the behaviour, and called on fans, players and coaches ‘to treat referees with respect and dignity’.
