Uefa has officially charged José Mourinho for his verbal attack on referee Anthony Taylor during the Europa League Final. The charges were announced by officials in Nyon, who listed a range of offenses involving Mourinho, Roma, and Sevilla following the intense clash in Budapest. However, it is Mourinho’s assault on the Wythenshawe official, both during the post-match press conference and the subsequent heated confrontation in the Puskas Arena car park, that is expected to result in the most severe punishment.
Mourinho now faces a potential multi-game ban, which could prevent him from fulfilling bench duties during next season’s European group stage. The charge against him specifically relates to the use of “insulting and/or abusive language against a match official.” The Portuguese manager insinuated that Taylor and his PGMOL colleagues, including fourth official Michael Oliver, appeared to favor the Spanish side during the match, which ended with Sevilla winning the decisive penalty shoot-out.
While the referee team was trying to board their minibus outside the stadium, Mourinho directed a string of expletives towards Taylor, labeling him a “f***ing disgrace” and a “crook.” The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, as many believe Mourinho’s actions contributed to the subsequent mobbing of Taylor and his wife by angered Roma fans at Budapest airport.
In response to the deplorable scenes, which involved chairs being thrown at the referee, a spokesperson from the Premier League expressed shock and disgust at the unacceptable abuse suffered by Anthony Taylor and his family. They emphasized that such inexcusable behavior should never be tolerated.
In addition to the charges against Mourinho, both clubs, Roma and Sevilla, face accusations of “improper conduct” due to Taylor issuing a record-breaking 14 cards during the match. Roma also received four charges related to the behavior of their fans, including object-throwing, lighting fireworks, damaging the stadium, and causing crowd disturbances. Sevilla, who secured their seventh tournament victory since 2006, faced three charges related to their fans, encompassing object-throwing, fireworks, and invasion of the field of play.
All charges have now been referred to Uefa’s Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body, which will determine the appropriate punishments. There are strong calls for Uefa to take decisive action against Mourinho, including from former Premier League referee Mark Halsey, who described the manager’s behavior as appalling, asserting that it is unacceptable for a manager to pursue officials after a match.
