Angry Roma fans accost, nearly assault ref from Europa League final that Jose Mourinho went at

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Like head coach, like fans. 

On Wednesday night in Budapest, manager Jose Mourinho lost his mind during and after his AS Roma club was defeated in the UEFA Europa League championship game.  

Mourinho constantly criticized English referee Anthony Taylor during the match, eventually getting yellow-carded by Taylor. After the game the 60-year-old coach waited in a parking lot outside the Budapest stadium — where Roma lost to Sevilla on penalties (1-1, 4-1) — and screamed insults and obscenities at Taylor, for perceived officiating injustices. 

Taylor did lose control of the ultra-physical match early on, and wound up giving out 13 yellow cards: Seven to Roma (including one to Mourinho), six to Sevilla. 

Mourinho, 60, was videotaped afterward in the parking lot repeatedly calling the English ref a “disgrace,” etc. 

UEFA, the governing body of soccer in Europe, charged Mourinho for insulting/abusive language toward a match official, and opened investigations into both clubs for improper behavior during and following the nasty game, which featured player clashes on the field and off, and fan disturbances as well. 

Alas, a day later it got worse. 

Roma’s fans followed Mourinho’s lead and took it even further at Budapest Airport. Referee Taylor and his family were spotted, chased, verbally accosted and nearly assaulted by still-livid Roma fans. One even fan threw a chair toward Taylor. 

Security rushed in and led the 44-year-old and his entourage — all of whom were uninjured — out of an airport café and into a safe area. 

The Italian chair-thrower was arrested and charged. 

“We are appalled,” the organization representing professional game match officials (PGMOL) said in a statement, “at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final.” 

The Premier League in a statement said it was “shocked and appalled by the unacceptable abuse” of Taylor, adding that “no one should have to suffer the inexcusable behavior (Taylor and his family) had to endure.” 

This comes just days after Ontario Soccer announced an initiative where some officials in Canada’s most populous province, at both youth and adult matches beginning next month, will wear body video cameras, as the next step in a zero-tolerance approach to protect match officials.  

JoKryk@postmedia.com 

@JohnKryk