Mr Special One can also be Mr Abusive One: Ref Taylor opens up on his trauma with Mou

Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has revealed that his family no longer go to his matches because of the abuse he receives, especially after the attacks coming from Jose Mourinho following the 2023 UEFA Europa League final.

In an interview with BBC Sport, Taylor recalled how he was confronted by then-Roma boss Mourinho after his side had lost the showdown on penalties to Sevilla.

The English official showed yellow cards to 13 players during the match, and 25 minutes of added time were played across the full match, including extra time.

Mourinho called Taylor a "disgrace" twice in a post-match conference before confronting him personally in a car park. Mr Special One was given a four-match ban for that incident.

Taylor was then shouted at by angry fans as he walked though Budapest Airport with his family.

"That's the worst situation I've dealt with in terms of abuse," he said.

"Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people's behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there was actually no major mistakes in the game."

Taylor felt after the match there was an attempt to "shift focus on to somebody to blame".

He added: "For me, that's a great source of disappointment, frustration, anger.

"Why that's acceptable, I don't know - because I'm sure those individuals wouldn't like somebody to turn around and say that to them or their own children.

"It makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place. They haven't been to one [match] since."

Asked if he felt Mourinho's behaviour could have influenced the fans who abused him, he says: "Yeah. I think if we're being honest, yeah."