Renowned manager gets ban after referee abuse in Europa League final
UEFA on Friday gave Roma manager Jose Mourinho a sideline ban of at least two games for his actions toward English referee Anthony Taylor after Wednesday's Europa League final.
After the Roma-Sevilla match, won by the Spanish team on penalties, Taylor faced relentless verbal abuse from Mourinho, one of the most well-known leaders in world soccer.
Referee abuse, sadly, is nothing new; fans have been taking out their frustrations on referees forever.
Mourinho allegedly followed Taylor into the stadium parking lot after Roma's loss, haranguing him in English and Italian. Mourinho's actions followed a stream of discord in the game itself — his coaching staff received seven yellow cards for dissent against refereeing decisions.
Mourinho's public abuse of Taylor also whipped several Roma fans into a frenzy. When they encountered Taylor and his family at the airport, a verbal and physical altercation resulted.
It's not the first time Mourinho's negativity has caused his fans to incite violence.
Earlier this season, Mourinho's diatribe against Roma player Rick Karsdorp caused the player and his family to be harassed by mobs of fans. Karsdorp was eventually run out of Rome and forced to apologize for his perceived "lack of professionalism."
Aggression has always been part of Mourinho's style. His vigor and argumentative nature have made him both famous and infamous, but he is taking his gripes too far. In an era in which fans are willing to turn violent over the smallest of perceived slights, coaches must do more to protect referees and comport themselves with dignity.
In this case, although Mourinho called Taylor's performance "a scandal," the global media disagreed. The Athletic called Taylor's efforts "a refereeing masterclass," and other outlets applauded Taylor's cool head under pressure.
With that in mind, there's only one scandal coming out of the Europa League final: the behavior of Mourinho and his fans.
More must-reads: