Former Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has taken up a new position in football just weeks after announcing his retirement from professional officiating. The 47-year-old has been appointed director of elite refereeing for the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
New role with TFF
Taylor, who refereed 831 matches over a 20-year career, hung up his whistle after taking charge of Spain's 1-0 win against Portugal in the round of 16 at this summer's World Cup. He expressed his enthusiasm for the new challenge, saying: "I am delighted to be joining the Turkish Football Federation and very much looking forward to beginning this new role. Elite refereeing has been at the centre of my professional life for many years, and this appointment gives me the opportunity to use that experience in a different way."
His appointment comes 10 months after the conclusion of a five-year investigation which found that 371 of 571 match officials in Turkey had betting accounts. TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu stated at the time: "If we want to bring Turkish football to the place it deserves, we have to clean up whatever dirt there is."
Clean-up and development
Some of the clean-up job will be given to Taylor, who added: "I am excited by the Federation's ambitions for its match officials and by the opportunity to help shape the strategic and technical development of its refereeing programme. There is already a great deal of talent and commitment within Turkey, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the Federation to build on those foundations and support the continued development of referees at every stage of the elite pathway."
Taylor, from Altrincham, worked as a prison guard before becoming a professional referee. He suggested when announcing his retirement that the 'intense' pressure and 'constant' scrutiny had played a role in his decision. In May 2023, Taylor and his family were harassed by Roma supporters at Budapest Airport following their Europa League final defeat to Sevilla and criticism from then-Roma manager Jose Mourinho. Taylor revealed last year that his family no longer came to watch matches that he refereed.
Taylor said: "Retiring from elite refereeing was a significant decision, but I was always clear that I wanted to remain closely involved in the game and contribute to the future of officiating. This is an exciting opportunity to begin that next chapter, and I look forward to getting started."
