Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has revealed that his family has stopped attending his matches because of the abuse and threats directed at him both in stadiums and online.

Speaking with BBC Sport on Friday, Taylor opened up for the first time about the personal toll of refereeing at the highest level, admitting that the growing hostility toward match officials has made him question whether the profession is “all worth it.”

Taylor, who has officiated in the Premier League for nearly 15 years, has taken charge of matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the 2020 European Championship, and major finals including the European Super Cup and Nations League.

He warned that football’s “win-at-all-costs” mentality is damaging the mental health and performance of referees across all levels.

Reflecting on one of his most difficult experiences, Taylor recalled being confronted by former Roma manager José Mourinho after the Italian club’s defeat to Sevilla in the 2023 Europa League final.

During the tense match, Taylor issued 13 yellow cards and oversaw 25 minutes of added time.

Afterward, Mourinho publicly called Taylor a “disgrace” twice in his post-match press conference before confronting him in a car park — an incident that earned the Portuguese coach a four-match suspension.

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Taylor later faced verbal abuse from fans at Budapest Airport while travelling 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 were actually no major mistakes in the game.”

He added that following the final, there seemed to be an effort to “shift focus on somebody to blame.”

“For me, that’s a great source of disappointment, frustration, anger,” Taylor said.

“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.”

When asked whether Mourinho’s conduct might have influenced fans’ reactions, Taylor replied, “Yeah. I think if we’re being honest, yeah.”