Jose Mourinho blasted by Premier League referee Anthony Taylor for inciting abuse that left him scared to travel with family - but claims officiating is still 'one of the best jobs in the world'

While Taylor enjoys his profession most of the time, he was caught in the centre of a storm back in 2023. It was after the Europa League final, which saw Roma suffer a penalty shootout defeat to Sevilla, that Taylor found himself targeted by Mourinho - with the outspoken Portuguese, who was in charge of Serie A heavyweights at the time, branding the Premier League match official a "disgrace" in his post-match press conference before confronting him in a car park outside the stadium.

With anger stirred in a passionate group of supporters, Taylor - who showed 13 yellow cards during the match and oversaw 25 minutes of added time - required extra security when leaving through Budapest airport as he and his family endured some scary scenes.

Reflecting on that ordeal with BBC Sport, Taylor said: "That's the worst situation I've dealt with in terms of abuse. Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people's behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there was actually no major mistakes in the game."

Taylor added on the blame culture in modern football, with coaches and players often stirring that pot: "For me, that's a great source of disappointment, frustration, anger. Why that's acceptable, I don't know - because I'm sure those individuals wouldn't like somebody to turn around and say that to them or their own children. It makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place. They haven't been to one [match] since."

Taylor went on to say of abuse, be that online or in-venue, impacting the mental health of officials - with the Premier League seeking to address an issue that infiltrates every level of the game, from the top-flight to grassroots: "If you're continually told you're not very good, whether that be by people in the media, by pundits, or even ex-officials, then people's mental health could potentially suffer. The footballing culture in general is, 'we need to win this game at all costs'. The lengths that people go to post-game with a lot of things now to spread false narratives, to spread malicious conspiracy theories... it creates a hugely negative environment for people to operate in."

Elite referees operate under the brightest of spotlights, with Taylor saying of the pressure that they face to get every big decision right: "I wouldn't argue against scrutiny being there. I'm not saying scrutiny isn't to be expected, but everybody who watches football always sees a game through the eyes of their team. And the result of a football match and the culmination of a football season is multi-faceted. It's not dependent on one match official's decision. It's not dependent on one player missing one penalty in a game. It's not dependent on one coach making one tactical error during a game.

"The argument one decision has cost somebody the whole season, it's just factually not true because there'll be plenty of other incidents in a game or over that season where the results of games have been affected. What I'm saying is that you can have scrutiny and you can have critique. But it's very rarely balanced. Nobody really talks about the positive side of things these days, either."

Taylor is into his 17th season as a Premier League referee. He has worked at World Cups, European Championships, Super Cups and the Nations League and concedes that his position is not all bad. He said: "When it comes down to it, it's one of the best jobs in the world. You're right in the centre of the action in the most exciting league in the world."

Taylor is hoping to officiate at next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the 46-year-old unsure how long he will continue for. He intends to make the most of his time with a whistle in hand, with Premier League action set to resume on October 18 after the latest international break.