UEFA Europa League (UEL) Final 2023, Sevilla FC vs AS Roma

AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho expressed his dissatisfaction with English referee Anthony Taylor after AS Roma lost the UEFA Europa League final to Sevilla. Mourinho stated that the referee seemed Spanish and criticized the officiating during the intense and vibrant game. Taylor handed out 14 yellow cards, the most ever in a Europa League match.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Mourinho commented, "It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time." He further expressed his disappointment with the refereeing decisions, stating that it is hard to accept such officiating in a European final.

During the press conference, Mourinho labeled Taylor's refereeing a scandal, pointing out that Roma players were booked for certain actions while Sevilla players were spared for similar incidents. He cited an example where Roma's Pellegrini was booked for a fall in the box, while Ocampos from Sevilla committed a similar action but did not receive a yellow card. Mourinho called the situation a scandal and criticized the inconsistency in the referee's decisions.

Mourinho's frustration with the refereeing extended beyond the match, as he was seen shouting at Anthony Taylor in the car park after the game, referring to him as "a disgrace."

Despite the loss, AS Roma finished sixth in Serie A and will participate in the UEFA Europa League again in the following season. Had they won the final, AS Roma would have secured direct entry to the UEFA Champions League for the next season

AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho criticized English referee Anthony Taylor after AS Roma lost the UEFA Europa League final to Sevilla. Mourinho commented that the final was a lively game with a referee who appeared to have a Spanish style. Sevilla ultimately won the match on penalties, securing the UEFA Europa League title for the 2022/23 season.

In an interview with Sky Sports after the game, Mourinho described the final as intense and vibrant, highlighting the referee's Spanish-like approach. The match saw Taylor issue 14 yellow cards, the highest number ever given in a Europa League game.

Mourinho expressed his frustration, stating, "It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time." He found it challenging to accept such refereeing in a European final.

During the subsequent press conference, Mourinho criticized the refereeing decisions, particularly the inconsistency in handling situations. He believed that the number of questionable decisions exceeded just a few and highlighted the impact they had on the game. Mourinho, being an experienced figure in football, felt he could immediately recognize the nature of the refereeing.

Mourinho further labeled Taylor's performance as a scandal, claiming that Roma players were booked for actions while Sevilla players involved in similar incidents were spared. After the match, Mourinho was observed shouting at the English official in the car park, referring to him as "a disgrace."

Sevilla emerged as victors, winning their seventh UEFA Europa League title after defeating Roma 4-1 in the penalty shootout.

Despite the loss, AS Roma secured a sixth-place finish in Serie A, ensuring their participation in the UEFA Europa League for the following season. Winning the final would have granted them direct entry to the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming season

UEFA Europa League: 2022/23 in numbers

1: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first ever Europa League goal for Manchester United against Sheriff in the group stage.

2: AS Roma reached as many UEFA club competition finals in the past two years as they did in the rest of their history.

3: Three players recorded hat-tricks in the tournament: Vitinha (Union Saint-Gilloise), Kevin Volland (Monaco), and Ángel Di María (Juventus).

4: There were a record number of penalty shoot-outs in the knockout round play-offs and round of 16.

4: AS Roma lost four matches en route to the Europa League final, all by a single goal.

5: Union Berlin kept five consecutive clean sheets after losing their first two games.

6: Feyenoord equaled the biggest margin of victory twice, winning 6-0 against Sturm Graz and 7-1 against Shakhtar.

6: For the sixth successive season, Manchester United's European ambitions were ended by Spanish opposition, with Sevilla being responsible for half of those eliminations.

6: Victor Boniface (Union Saint-Gilloise) and Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) were the joint-top scorers of the competition with six goals.

7: Sevilla won their seventh UEFA Cup/Europa League title.

12: Sevilla have not lost at home to non-Spanish opposition in the Europa League for 12 years.

17: Jesús Navas appeared in his fourth final victory, 17 years after his first.

24: Ferencváros became the first Hungarian team to reach the Europa League last 16.

41: Joaquín (Real Betis) became the oldest goalscorer and oldest outfield player in Europa League history.

62: José Mendilibar became the oldest winning coach in the Europa League, surpassing Maurizio Sarri's record.

69: Rui Patrício (AS Roma) played a record 69 games in the Europa League era.

90,255: The Europa League attendance record was set during Barcelona's match against Manchester United at the Camp Nou