Anyone Can Referee: Controversial Referee Anthony Taylor Back in Premier League Action

Referee Anthony Taylor returns to the Premier League just one week after being demoted to the Championship due to a controversial decision.

The English Premier League (EPL) office announced on the 7th (Korean time) that Taylor will be the referee for the Chelsea-Manchester City match scheduled for the 13th. This match, part of the 2023-24 Premier League’s 12th round, will occur at Stamford Bridge in London.

Taylor recently found himself at the center of controversy. It stemmed from an incident during the 10th round of the Premier League match between Wolverhampton and Newcastle on the 29th of last month. Around the 44th minute of the first half, Fabian Schar (Newcastle) fell as Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) cleared the ball. Taylor declared a penalty kick (PK), claiming Hwang committed a foul.

After the game, Hwang expressed his frustration, saying, “It doesn’t seem like it was a PK.” Wolverhampton manager Gary O’Neil also criticized the decision, saying, “It was a terrible judgment. The referee made a big mistake. Hwang was just trying to clear the ball. There was no contact, even with the shoelaces. It was a clear referee error.”

In the end, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) demoted Taylor to the Championship, acknowledging there was a problem with his decision. Even in the Championship, he faced controversy over his decision in the Preston-Coventry City match, where he declared a PK and faced severe criticism.

The controversies surrounding Taylor’s decisions are not new. Last season, his decision climaxed during the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final match between AS Roma and Sevilla. Although the ball hit a Sevilla player’s hand, Taylor did not call a PK. Eventually, Sevilla won the tie-breaker and secured the championship.

After the game, AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho sought out Taylor and showered him with harsh insults, saying, “You are a disgrace to football.” AS Roma fans even followed him to the airport, threatening Taylor and his family. Taylor’s children boarded the plane in tears.

Taylor is well-known to Korean fans as well. An incident occurred during the extra time of the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup group match between Korea and Ghana. Korea was preparing for the final corner kick, but Taylor blew the final whistle beforehand. Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and others protested vehemently. He declared a dismissal to the then-Korea coach Paulo Bento, who was trying to calm them down.

Wherever Taylor goes, controversies over his decisions follow. This time, he will be refereeing the Chelsea-Manchester City match. There are concerns about what kind of controversy will arise this time.

By. Lee Hyun Ho