Anthony Taylor’s controversial past: Fans are angry about Germany’s penalty being denied in the UEFA quarter-final against Spain

Anthony Taylor and controversy go hand in hand. It’s not often that the English referee takes charge of a match and fans aren’t discussing some sort of drama. Well, if you thought the Euro 2024 quarter-final between Germany and Spain would be any different, you were sorely mistaken. While Spain snatched victory thanks to Mikel Merino in the final minutes of extra time, it was Taylor who once again provided the story of the night.

Taylor handed out a whopping 15 yellow cards during the 120-minute match. This might make it seem like the referee didn’t let any infringements go, but that was definitely not the case. During the match, the referee made several controversial decisions, including a very odd handball on Marc Cucurella, which surprisingly went unpunished. Fans were furious at his decision-making skills and many criticised Anthony Taylor for his poor refereeing. However, this is not the first time Taylor has been hounded for his mistakes!

Anthony Taylor has an old connection to controversy

Let’s turn back the clock to last year’s heated Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Anthony Taylor awarded a penalty against Wolves after striker Hwang Hee-chan caught Fabian Schar in front of the referee as he attempted to clear the ball out of the box. This did not please Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who said the penalty was “disgraceful”.

Taylor was forced to apologise for his error of judgement and the PGMOL took strict action against the referee. Taylor was demoted from officiating Premier League matches and relegated to refereeing in the Championship the following weekend.

Earlier at the Euros, Anthony Taylor was also involved in a lengthy VAR drama that saw Dutch star Xavi Simons’ goal disallowed. While UEFA praised Taylor for the decision, he was also criticized for taking too long to make a decision, disrupting the flow of the game.

More to come on EssentiallySports…