Former Premier League referee Taylor joins Turkish refereeing committee
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group K - Uzbekistan v Colombia - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico - June 17, 2026 Referee Anthony Taylor REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
Aug 4 : Former Premier League and World Cup referee Anthony Taylor has joined the Turkish Central Refereeing Committee as director of elite refereeing, the organisation said on Tuesday.
• Taylor retired last month following a 22-year career spanning 831 matches. The 47-year-old's final refereeing assignment was the Portugal v Spain World Cup round-of-16 game in Dallas last month.
• "Having officiated at the highest levels of domestic and international football, I welcome the opportunity to bring that experience to a role focused on the strategic and technical development of elite refereeing in Turkey," Taylor said in a statement.
• "I will work with colleagues across the Federation to support the continued development of its match officials and strengthen the wider refereeing programme, in line with UEFA and FIFA standards."
• Taylor is the latest former English top-flight referee to move abroad after retirement, following Howard Webb and Mark Clattenburg, who both held senior refereeing roles in Saudi Arabia.
• Taylor spent 16 seasons refereeing in the Premier League, overseeing 432 matches in England's top flight.