Ex-Premier League referee Anthony Taylor lands shock new job days after retirement

Despite retiring from refereeing last month, former Premier League official Anthony Taylor has already landed a new role.

Taylor, 47, announced his retirement on July 21, days after taking charge of two matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup – a group-stage match between Senegal and Iraq before officiating Spain’s round-of-16 victory over Portugal.

His career spanned 831 matches, with the Manchester-born official officiating 432 Premier League matches across 16 seasons. He was also the man in the middle for several domestic cup finals.

The 47-year-old also took charge of the 2024 Champions League final and officiated 163 international matches.

In a statement detailing his decision to retire, Taylor described officiating as an “immense privilege” that brings constant “pressure” and “scrutiny”.

“The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career,” he wrote.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to my two assistants, Gary and Adam, my refereeing colleagues and everyone connected with the game for all their support over the years. Most importantly, I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support throughout the immense sacrifices this career has demanded.”

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However, just two weeks later, Taylor has announced that he has taken up the role of Director of Elite Refereeing with the Turkish Football Association.

In a LinkedIn post, he wrote: “Following my recent announcement that I am retiring from elite refereeing after 16 seasons, I am pleased to share the next step in my career. From today, I will take up the consultancy role of ‘Director of Elite Refereeing’ with the Turkish Football Federation. 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. The appointment follows detailed discussions in Istanbul, and I would like to thank Fraser Williamson for representing me throughout the process. I am looking forward to joining the TFF and contributing to the next phase of its refereeing development.”

His appointment comes just 10 months after an investigation found 371 of 571 Turkey's officials had betting accounts, prompting Turkish Football Federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu to suggest “we have to clean up whatever dirt there is”.