16 January 2024 , 11:11
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Jose Mourinho laid the blame for Roma's Europa League final defeat back in the summer firmly with referee Anthony Taylor.
The Italian side were pegged back by Sevilla, who claimed the trophy in a penalty shootout. In what was a hotly-contested affair, the Special One grew increasingly frustrated with the Premier League official, who had been assigned the match.
Mourinho later waited for Taylor in the car park as he looked to make his feelings known. It was the first time he'd lost in a European final, having won the previous five, and when he got the chance, he certainly told Taylor what he thought of his performance.
He was filmed saying: “You were a f****** disgrace tonight. It is a disgrace.” Mourinho, however, denied he was talking to Taylor, who was later targeted by angry Roma fans. Instead the Special One claimed his rant was directed at UEFA's refereeing chief, Robero Rosetti.
He said: “Taylor wasn’t there. Taylor was still in the ground.” Quizzed on whom he was directing his frustration, Mourinho added: “Other people, not Taylor. The fourth official, his assistants, Rosetti, Howard Webb, the technical director of the PGMOL.
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“Everything ends, we go back into the dressing room, I go down to the garage and the refereeing team come in. I’ve got a good relationship with Webb and Rosetti. They’ve both refereed my games. I know it wasn’t elegant, but I didn’t insult anyone.
“I went over to Rosetti and said: ‘Ref’ — that’s what I call him — ‘ref, is it a penalty or isn’t it a penalty?’ Rosetti did what refs usually do. He didn’t reply. I asked Webb the same question. He put his hand on my shoulder and said: ‘Yes, Jose, it’s a pen.’
“Webb did what I would have liked Taylor to do. Because if Taylor, or someone else in his place, had come to our dressing room crestfallen, and said: ‘I got it wrong, we made a mistake, I’m sorry’, it wouldn’t have just ended there, he would have had our respect and admiration.
"I’ve never questioned his integrity. I didn’t like his decision, the cards, but I keep thinking he’s a very good ref and if we get him again next season, I’ll be honest, there won’t be any problems.”
Mourinho later reflected on some of his biggest games, with the Europa League loss clearly sticking with him. The Special One, though, admitted he had to tone down his words in fear of a ban if he was truly honest.
Mourinho let rip at Anthony Taylor after Roma's final loss (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)"Winning the Europa league with Manchester United was a normal feeling for me. Roma-Sevilla… if I say what I think I will get banned for ten games," he told .
"Roma-Feyenoord [In the Europa Conference League] but I I could also have indicated the match against Leicester. I’ve never cried on the pitch after a loss. Sometimes, I cry after a win and these two games are historic for Roma."