Following deplorable remarks made in the aftermath of the action last weekend, Anthony Taylor was granted a week’s leave of absence from Premier League officiating.
As Chelsea defeated Bournemouth 1-0, Taylor was the main man in the middle, showing players a league-high 14 yellow cards. Additionally, he booked Pablo de la Torre, the coach of Bournemouth, and Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea. This caused Maresca and his opposing number, Andoni Iraola, to respond differently.
Following the game, the 45-year-old referee received horrible internet criticism, including threats against his family. Taylor’s duties for the next weekend have been rearranged in the wake of rumors that the league is looking into the treatment.
Taylor has previously been the target of taunts from fans; after the 2023 Europa League final, he was attacked by Roma supporters at Budapest Airport. Even though the new abuse has occurred virtually rather than in person, the authorities are nevertheless taking it quite seriously.
The Mail claims that the Premier League has started investigating the abuse while Taylor is given a week off from official duties. While admitting he won’t be in the middle of any matches this weekend, the PGMOL is extending him support.
Rather, Taylor will officiate two different matches as the fourth official. The first matchup is Southampton against. Ipswich Town on Saturday, while the second is Brighton vs. Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Although Taylor’s 14 cards were a league high, they were only one of many cards displayed during the course of the competition that weekend. Following Sunday’s games, there were 65 yellow cards and one red for players in the ten games; Southampton defender Jack Stephens was the only player to be sent off.
“I took issue with a foul that I felt was obvious on Wesley Fofana, but it does happen occasionally,” Chelsea boss Maresca stated in reference to the card that Taylor had showed him. “Chelsea received eight yellow cards, most likely owing to the fact that these games involve duels and fighting, which might occur.
With this many yellow cards, it doesn’t bother me. That’s just the way things are. There are moments when the game requires certain behaviors,” he said. Iraola, the opposing number, made it a point to be silent about the refereeing.
Taylor discussed his thoughts on the mistreatment of referees on the High Performance Podcast following the aforementioned Roma incident in 2023. “Just more understanding and more empathy [is needed],” he stated.
“So once more, yeah, we are far from flawless and mistakes do happen. Not at all ideal. However, there are a lot of other factors that go into how a football game turns out.
And so perhaps give it some thought. Perhaps think things out before you try to place the blame on someone. Really tough, which I can accept objectively following a team’s defeat. Think on the factors that influence decisions and make an effort to comprehend the reasoning behind decisions.
