SerpApi.Org
Referee Anthony Taylor has called time on his professional career, ending a spell that lasted over two decades, many of which were spent in the Premier League.
The 47-year-old brought his time as an official to an end during the World Cup, with his final match coming in Spain's 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16. Meanwhile, Liverpool fans have reacted to a "weird" transfer announcement following the tournament.
“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant,” Taylor said in a statement announcing his retirement on Tuesday.
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“The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to my two assistants Gary and Adam, my refereeing colleagues and everyone connected with the game for all their support over the years.
"Most importantly, I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support throughout the immense sacrifices this career has demanded.”
Taylor officiated in the Premier League for 16 years, and took charge of Liverpool more than any other team, doing so 72 times in his career.
The Reds won 39 of those games, drawing 22 times and tasting defeat 11 times with the match official in charge. He sent off three Liverpool players in those encounters and awarded 16 penalties.
While the Merseyside outfit ended up winning more often than not with Taylor in charge, the referee did get confronted a few times by Jurgen Klopp in his career in the top flight.
In January 2017, the head coach slammed the referee for awarding a free-kick to Sunderland that resulted in a penalty for a handball shortly after, handing the Black Cats a late equalizer in an important match. “It is tough for me to accept," he said of Taylor's decision. "If there’s no free-kick then there’s no handball. And there was no foul for the free-kick. I saw it again and there was no contact.”
It happened again in 2022 when Klopp was sent off by Taylor in Liverpool's win over Man City, following an angry reaction on the touchline. "I explained after the game, in this moment you could not bring me in this mood," he explained afterwards.
"No chance. But the whole game led to that maybe a little bit. The way it went, the way it was a very, very intense game with a lot of decisions which both managers didn't understand on both sides.
"For me it was like, I don't know, in Germany we say, 'the one drop that made the bucket overflow.' I'm not happy with my reaction but that's the way it was and everybody saw it. I was sitting after the game in the office of Anthony Taylor and spoke, completely calmly, about all the situations. How I saw the game, how he saw the game. It was a completely calm discussion. That's the situation. I got a red card and now we wait for the process."
While there were those moments of confrontation, it was clear that Klopp had respect for Taylor, highlighted by the meeting the pair had after the events. Now, the official has called time on his professional career, meaning there could be a new face or two officiating Liverpool matches next season.
