Following the aftermath of Roma’s defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League final, English referee Anthony Taylor and his family were harassed by a group of Giallorossi fans at the Budapest airport. Sevilla defeated Roma on penalties to win a record-extending seventh Europa League title on Thursday. While Roma manager Jose Mourinho was seen directing a series of expletive towards Taylor in the car park, several footages emerged on social media where chairs and bottles were thrown at his family at the Budapest airport.
Grazie papa di avermi fatto laziale ! pic.twitter.com/8YGcUdyKi7
— momo (@momo50SSL) June 1, 2023
In the final, Taylor dished out 14 yellow cards, the most ever in a Europa League game, and playing almost 30 minutes of stoppage time in total.
After the match, Mourinho fumed at Taylor, saying that “the referee seemed Spanish”.
“It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time,” Mourinho said.
Roma and Mourinho were denied a second European crown in as many years when his exhausted, injury-ravaged team lost on penalties to Sevilla, but he gave a rousing post-match speech on the pitch before thanking the army of Roma fans who made it to Budapest.
His message was one of pride, which is what he has restored at Roma, a team which has one of Italy’s largest, most passionate fan bases but has won little of note since being founded in 1927.
Mourinho’s comments, and calling referee Anthony Taylor a “disgrace” in the Puskas Arena’s car park for not awarding Roma a second-half penalty for handball, were lapped up by supporters who in the Portuguese manager see their representative in the dugout.
Roma had taken the lead in the final through Paulo Dybala, before Sevilla forced extra-time, followed by penalties, thanks to Gianluca Mancini’s own goal.
(With AFP Inputs)
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