UEFA told to hit Roma with points deduction or kick club out of Europe

Jose Mourinho takes swipe at referee Anthony Taylor after Europa League final loss

UEFA have been urged to kick Roma out of European competition ahead of next season after their fans hounded Anthony Taylor at Budapest airport. RefSupportUK CEO Martin Cassidy has told Express Sport that clubs must face stronger sanctions after incidents of abuse towards officials rose in 2022-23. 

Taylor oversaw Roma’s defeat by Sevilla in Wednesday’s Europa League Final. After the game, the 44-year-old was met by Roma boss Jose Mourinho in the car park of the Puskas Arena, with the former Chelsea manager declaring that Taylor’s team of English officials were “f****** crooks”. 

Roma supporters then met Taylor inside Budapest airport, screaming abuse and trying to pursue the experienced official. Taylor was alongside his wife and young children, with police protecting the family as they moved to board a flight home. 

UEFA are expected to punish Roma and Mourinho. However, Cassidy wants the Serie A outfit removed from European competition altogether for the 2023-24 season. 

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Alternatively, he has suggested that Roma are docked three points from their group for next season’s Europa League. It comes after the Football Association introduced points deductions for grassroots football teams who abuse referees from next season. 

Cassidy of RefSupportUK told Express Sport: “This incident could be a real game-changer if UEFA responds to it effectively and say that either Roma are kicked out of qualifying for any European competition for next season, or if they do allow them to continue to qualify, then they start with minus three points. Deduct points from them, send a message out.

“I’d like to see the points deductions expanded to the club and international game. There was the incident at the World Cup where Japan went through ahead of Senegal because they had collected fewer yellow cards, so there is a precedent to say you can receive a sporting punishment due to your behaviour.”

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Cassidy also points out that fines for managers no longer work, such is the limited financial hit that the individuals ultimately take. He also believes it is a bad look for governing bodies to be making money out of the abuse of officials.

“When managers are getting poultry fines that are a day’s wages to them, and none of it goes into the development of referees, it disappears into the PO box of 1966… there’s nothing there. [They say] ‘Keep fining them, keep fining, but by the way, we’re cutting the budget for referee training’,” Cassidy continued.

“Something doesn’t add up. The whole image of making money out of abuse towards match officials is not a good look. The FA need a pat on the back, it’s a great start [to introduce points deductions], but we need those steps to be bigger now to start going into the professional game.”

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