They took their team loyalty too far.
A wild video shows fans of Italian soccer team AS Roma heckling an English referee in the aftermath of the club’s elimination from the Europa League final on penalties this week.
Fans surrounded referee Anthony Taylor and his family as they made their way through Budapest’s international airport on Wednesday, chanting and hurling insults at him while others groaned on their phones, according to video clips.
Taylor can be seen trying to navigate the mob and guard what appears to be his daughter as a woman grabs his backpack. Footage shows airport security in bright orange vests trying to restrain them amidst shouting and shoving.
Suddenly, a fan is shown shooting a bar stool at the ref and his family, which is swerved by a security guard before the family is ushered through a door to security.
Roma lost to Sevilla 4-1 on penalties on Wednesday after the match ended 1-1 after extra time in the Hungarian capital.
Roma coach Jose Mourinho was charged by UEFA on Friday after he was filmed swearing violently at Taylor in a parking garage after the match, repeatedly calling him a “disgrace”.
The club will also bear after fans threw objects and lit fireworks in the stands during the tumultuous three-hour match that saw players and coaches clash on the pitch and eventually ended with Spanish fans storming the pitch.
He also accused Sevilla, who won the Europa League for the seventh time, of the behavior of their fans.
Both teams were charged by UEFA with improper conduct, and activated for receiving a minimum of five yellow cards on display.
Taylor appeared eight against Roma players and officials, including Mourinho, and six for Sevilla. His 14 yellow cards was the highest ever in a Europa League match, according to Reuters.
“The referee looked like a Spaniard,” Mourinho said after the match. “The result was not fair and there are too many cases to revisit.”
The Roma players thought they should have been awarded a penalty for handball.
Mourinho said of his team: “We lost, but with dignity.”
After his carport tirade went viral on Thursday, Mourinho was accused of “insulting/abusive language against a match official”, according to UEFA, which has vowed, in light of carport and airport incidents, to review operations to protect match officials. .
“UEFA maintains close cooperation with local police and airport security, starting from the arrival of the referees in the host cities,” the association said in a statement on Friday. However, we are constantly striving to enhance security measures for officials in coordination with local authorities.
Professional Game Officials, the body responsible for governing English professional football, have condemned the behavior of Roma fans at the airport.
“PGMOL.” [Professional Game Match Officials] We are aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport,” the organization said.
“We are appalled by the gratuitous and abhorrent abuse suffered by Anthony and his family as he tries to get home from refereeing to the UEFA Europa League Final. We will continue to give Anthony and his family our full support,” PGMOL said.
with mail wires
