Former FIFA and Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has been appointed as the new Elite Referees Director of the Turkish Football Federation’s (TFF) Central Referee Committee (MHK), marking a new chapter in one of football’s most distinguished officiating careers.
Taylor, widely regarded as one of the game’s most experienced referees, will now oversee the technical development of Turkey’s elite match officials after years of officiating at the highest level of world football.
His responsibilities will include supervising referee performance evaluations, designing education and training programmes, analysing matches, providing technical feedback and helping shape long-term referee development strategies in line with FIFA and UEFA standards.
The TFF said it believes Taylor’s vast international experience will strengthen Turkish refereeing and help raise officiating standards across domestic competitions.
Anthony Taylor officiated more than 850 professional matches during a refereeing career spanning over two decades, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship fixtures before moving into football administration. Photocredit: Getty Images
Taylor enjoyed an illustrious career as a FIFA referee from 2013, taking charge of matches at the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League and FIFA Club World Cup.
He also officiated several major finals, including the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League final, the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final, the 2021 UEFA Nations League final and the 2020 UEFA Super Cup.
Reacting to his appointment, Taylor described the opportunity as one he could not turn down.
“I have been appointed as Director of Elite Refereeing with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). Having officiated at the highest levels of domestic and international football throughout my career, this is an unmissable opportunity to contribute to the continued development of elite refereeing in Türkiye.”
The former English official also acknowledged the support he received during the appointment process.
“I would like to thank Fraser Williamson, barrister at Trinity Chambers, for his advice, professionalism and representation throughout the negotiations.”
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Taylor added that he is eager to help modernise and strengthen refereeing in Turkish football.
“I look forward to shaping the technical development of elite refereeing within the TFF and supporting the Federation’s ambition to develop its match officials and strengthen the refereeing programme.”
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