Premier League Referee Anthony Taylor Urges Fans To Stop Expecting Perfection

10 Oct 2025, 12:59 by Ernest Victor · Naija News

Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has urged football fans to stop demanding perfection from match officials, saying the unrealistic pressure is damaging both the game and those who officiate it.

Speaking with BBC Sport, Anthony Taylor opened up about the growing hostility referees face and revealed that his family no longer attends his matches due to the abuse he receives. The 46-year-old admitted that at times, the constant criticism makes him question whether the job is still worth it.

“There are moments when you think, ‘Is it all worth it?’” Taylor said. “But 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, who has been officiating in the Premier League for nearly 15 years, has handled some of the biggest fixtures in world football including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, two European Championships, and finals of both the UEFA Super Cup and Nations League.

Yet, despite his experience, Taylor says modern football’s “win-at-all-costs” mentality has created a toxic environment that hurts both referees and the sport itself.

VAR Has “Created an Expectation of Perfection” – Anthony Taylor

Taylor believes that the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in 2019 has significantly raised the level of scrutiny on officials, fostering an unhealthy belief that every decision can and should be flawless.

“The amount of scrutiny and analysis around Premier League football means everybody has a quest for perfection,” he explained. “In reality, perfection doesn’t exist. We’re expecting referees to get every decision right, and that’s not possible. If people are fearful of failure, it will eventually harm performance.”

He added that VAR has “completely shifted” how referees are judged. “It brought this expectation of perfection, that it would solve absolutely everybody’s problems and it would be a utopia,” Taylor said.

“In reality, those people were way off the mark. One week, people say they don’t want VAR to be too forensic, and the next week, they’re asking why VAR didn’t intervene. People really need to decide what they want.”

Taylor also reflected on one of the darkest moments of his career, being targeted by angry Roma fans after officiating the 2023 Europa League final, which Sevilla won on penalties. The match saw him issue 13 yellow cards and oversee 25 minutes of added time.

Naija News reports that the then Roma manager, José Mourinho publicly called Taylor a “disgrace” and later confronted him in a car park. The act earned the Portuguese coach a four-match ban.

Days later, Taylor and his family were harassed by Roma supporters at Budapest Airport.

“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor recalled. “Not only because I was travelling with family members, but it highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others. Even in that match, there were no major mistakes.”

He said his family has not attended any of his games since. “It makes you reflect on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place,” he said.

When asked if Mourinho’s behaviour influenced the fans who targeted him, Taylor replied, “Yeah. I think if we’re being honest, yeah.”

Now entering his 17th Premier League season, Taylor admits he doesn’t know how much longer he will continue refereeing at the highest level.

“I’m 47 next week, so that’s quite old for someone operating at this level, running after people a lot younger than you,” he said. “The focus right now is trying to make sure we have two refereeing teams at the World Cup next year in America.”