According to SPORTbible, former Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has wasted little time beginning the next chapter of his career after announcing his retirement from elite officiating.
Just two weeks after confirming he would step away from refereeing, the 47-year-old has been appointed Director of Elite Refereeing by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), where he will oversee the strategic and technical development of the country’s top officials.
Taylor begins new challenge
Taylor announced the move in a LinkedIn post after holding discussions in Istanbul.
Reflecting on his appointment, he wrote:
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“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 Türkiye. 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.”
As SPORTbible notes, the appointment comes shortly after Taylor brought the curtain down on a distinguished refereeing career spanning more than two decades.
An illustrious refereeing career
Taylor retired after officiating 831 matches, including 432 Premier League games across 16 seasons. He also took charge of every major domestic cup final in England and officiated the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
His final tournament was the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he refereed the group-stage match between Senegal and Iraq before taking charge of Spain’s round-of-16 victory over Portugal.
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Arrives amid Turkish refereeing crisis
As highlighted by SPORTbible, Taylor’s appointment comes at a crucial moment for Turkish football following a major integrity scandal involving match officials.
An investigation by the Turkish Football Federation found that 371 of 571 professional referees held betting accounts, while 152 officials were actively placing bets, prompting disciplinary proceedings and widespread calls for reform.
TFF president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu previously vowed to “clean up whatever dirt there is” as part of a wider effort to restore confidence in Turkish officiating.
Taylor is now expected to play a central role in that rebuild, using his experience at the highest level to improve standards and align Turkish refereeing with UEFA and FIFA best practices.
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