Dr Eva Carneiro - The Curse of a Scorned Woman!

Having closely followed the Dr Eva Carneiro versus Jose Mourinho 'controversy' and subsequent fall out, and having also written two previous articles on here outlining the case in question (on the 18th September and 24th September 2015), it is with interest that I read the very latest turn of events in 'DoctorGate'

Coming from a family with a substantial background in medicine, and having discussed and read in some detail the rights and wrongs of the behaviour of Mourinho on that fateful day back in August, I for one am pleased, if not slightly surprised to see that Dr Caneiro has the full weight of FIFA's medical committee behind her in her fight against Chelsea Football Club and manager Jose Mourinho.

They have promised the former Chelsea doctor the full backing of FIFA's medical chief in her legal case against the Premier League club.

Carneiro is taking action against the club for constructive dismissal and an individual action against Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho for victimisation and discrimination.

She was dropped from first-team duties after Mourinho criticised her and head physio Jon Fearn for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard after being summoned by referee Michael Oliver.
The action meant that Chelsea were temporarily down to nine men against Swansea, and afterwards Mourinho called Carneiro and Fearn "impulsive and naive."


Mourinho was cleared of using discriminatory language towards her following an investigation by the Football Association, but he is now the subject of a separate but connected claim.

With Mourinho's Chelsea side currently ailing like a rudderless ship, and 'The Special One' now favourite with the bookmakers to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job, one has to question how much damage his bust up with Dr Carnerio (right), during the opening match of the Premier League season back on the 8th August has contributed to what can only be described as a cataclysmic disaster of a season.........to date.

FIFA's medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe has now revealed he has been in touch with Carneiro to offer his support and that of the world governing body.
He has backed Carneiro's insistence that she was simply doing her job.

D'Hooghe said: "Of course I support Eva Carneiro. She did her job, she did her duty - when somebody is medically in trouble she has to intervene. Of course she has my support and the whole medical committee's."

"I have had email contact with her and she is very happy with the global support of the medical world in football."

D'Hooghe said the fall-out from the case could mean that Carneiro may find it difficult to find a new job in football but that he would do what he could to help her.

He added: "I can imagine that in the short term she might have some problems with that, but with her personality and her competence she must certainly have a great future and if I can help her I will do it."

I may not be a Chelsea supporting fan, or someone who can be hoodwinked by Mourinho's confident external persona, but I am a football fan, and I can tell you for a fact that there is precious little harmony within the Chelsea camp as I speak!

Following defeat at home to to Bournemouth last Saturday, an insider told how 'The Blues' trained earlier this week saying: “It was a very, very flat atmosphere at the training ground,” with midfielder Nemanja Matic seemingly backing up this observation by admitting the whole club is stuck in a rut with no sign of a way out.
He said: “We are in a difficult situation, so it’s going to be hard to come back from this. But we have to try to resolve this problem, we have to try to recover."

This week could define Mourinho's future. He stays in charge for tonight's decisive Champions League clash with Porto and for a date with ex-Blues boss Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City next Monday......but for how long! Should Chelsea bow out of the Champions League and then lose to Ranieri’s table-toppers it could force Abramovich’s hand — and get Mourinho sacked just a few months into a new four-year contract.

Chelsea refused to comment on FIFA's decision. The cases are likely to be heard early in 2016, unless they are settled beforehand.

In the wake of the controversy, FIFA's medical committee is to draw up a new code of ethics for managers and team doctors.

As the saying goes: "Nothing like the curse of a scorned woman"

Dr Eva Carneiro quits Chelsea following Mourinho outburst!

Dr Eva Carneiro has decided against a return to Chelsea Football Club, and is now expected to fight for a significant pay-off from the Premier League side.

The Times and the Daily Mail both report that the FA is investigating a complaint from a member of the public claiming Mourinho had shouted "filha da puta" - something that means "daughter of a whore" towards Carneiro during the Premier League match against Swansea City on 8th August.

New evidence regarding the incident involving Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and team doctor Eva Carneiro has been submitted to the Football Association by Women in Football (WiF).

This evidence includes video footage and a written submission from a Portuguese translator who says the coach singled out the club doctor in his outburst.

After the controversial incident with manager Jose Mourinho, Carneiro lost her place on the Chelsea bench and was not allowed to attend training sessions, matches or enter the team hotel.

Carneiro was told to report back for duty at Chelsea last Friday by the club’s hierarchy, the day before the crucial game at home to Arsenal, but decided against doing so and is understood to have now left the club.

The news has invited criticism from within the Football Association, with chair of the 'FA's Inclusion Advisory Board' (IAB) Heather Rabbatts expressing her "sadness and anger" at Dr Carneiro’s departure.

Anna Kessel, chair and co-founder of WiF, said: "We'll be extremely surprised if there is no charge at all."

Kessel also wrote in the Guardian: "One day we will look back at the story of Dr Eva Carneiro and wonder how any of this happened."

"How did a highly respected doctor have her reputation ripped to shreds despite not putting a foot wrong?"

"How did a Premier League manager lose his rag, misinterpret the facts and the laws of the game and fail to apologise? And why did no one defend her?"

"It is time now to hear from the game's enforcers, the Football Association and the Premier League. WiF urges them to step up to the plate."

"This is about medical ethics, human rights, employment rights, the integrity of the game. This is a test and we urge football not to shy away from it."

Mourinho’s heavy-handed actions have been condemned by Fifa and the medical community while Chelsea have continued to insist it is an “internal staffing matter” and have not commented throughout the case.


Mourinho had claimed that both Carneiro and Fearn could both eventually resume their duties despite his angry criticism of them – when he called them naïve and not understanding football - but, according to sources at the club, it was always expected that the doctor would leave as her position had appeared to become untenable.

Carneiro is understood to have further angered the manager when in the immediate aftermath of the incident, during the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, she took to the social media network Facebook to express her thanks for the "overwhelming support" she received.

Chelsea are unlikely to replace Carneiro (right) in the short-term with Dr Chris Hughes, who has worked with the academy players, continuing to sit on the bench. However it is understood the club is eventually going to use another doctor, David Porter, in the role once he has the necessary certificate to enter the field of play.

In a further twist first team physiotherapist Jon Fearn, who was also rebuked by Mourinho and demoted after also running onto the pitch, is expected to return to the Chelsea bench and has continued to work with the first-team players and also travelled to games.

Defending the doctor’s actions against Swansea, Rabbatts said last night: "Any other response would have been a dereliction of her duty and a breach of General Medical Council guidelines."

"In acting properly she was then subject to verbal abuse and public criticism and in effect demoted by her removal from the bench."


"Over the weekend WiF submitted evidence to the FA's investigation into Mourinho's comments as well as writing to Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the highest tier of association football in England, the Premier League.

Anna Kessel says of Carnerio: "Anyone who has met her is impressed by her professionalism, her serious nature, her commitment to helping others – both the patients she treats and the young women who write her streams of letters wanting to follow in her footsteps. She has worked at Chelsea for six years, as first-team doctor under four different managerial regimes. Surviving as a female medic in the football industry is hard enough; excelling as one is almost unheard of.

Dr Carneiro had already endured so much in her career, the horrific sexist abuse from opposition fans highlighted by the WiF campaign last season. It is sad that her ultimate downfall appears to be at the hands of the very club who once supported her and a game that so far has suggested it does not care to."

The expectation remains that no charge will be leveled, but if he is prosecuted Mourinho could be handed a five-match ban.