Jose Mourinho criticising Eva Carneiro for simply doing her job is wrong.
After Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Swansea, Eva Carneiro took a lot of the blame from the manager. Why? Because in injury time, she and her assistant physio ran onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard after he had been tripped. That doesn’t sound like a controversial talking point of the weekend’s action but it’s Mourinho’s criticism and furious arm waving that suddenly made her the back page headline of Chelsea’s draw. Should she be treated in such a disgraceful way? In a sane world, of course not. But this is Mourinho’s regime after all.
Admittedly I can see where Mourinho was coming from. Chelsea were a man down and desperately attacking the Swansea half searching for a last minute winner and his best player was on the ground injured with his medical staff running onto the pitch. This event slows the flow of the game to an immediate halt, something that obviously isn’t good when you’re seeking a winner. But that doesn’t excuse his actions on the touchline. In the heat of the moment, you can say some harsh words and start petty arguments but you shortly realise afterwards how wrong you were and apologise.
But for him to continue his attack on his first team doctor and relegate her to an off-field role is terrible. Demoted for doing her job in which if she didn’t attend to Hazard, she would have been charged by the FA for refusing to enter the pitch when she was twice summoned by referee Michael Oliver, broken various guide lines set by the General Medical Council and damaged her professional reputation. Why should she be punished for doing her job? She should be able to do her job in a comfortable environment where she can treat players without being undermined or have her boss make condescending public comments about her failing to understand the game.
Mourinho’s Criticism of Eva Carneiro is Mind Boggling
It’s unacceptable for him to take out his frustration on a key member of staff who, to her and her medical team’s credit, kept Chelsea’s squad relevantly injury free during their title winning season. Who else is to blame? Hazard for being tripped and clutching his leg in agony? His team for failing to break down Swansea’s resilient back line? Whatever the case, it isn’t Carneiro’s fault for preventing a potential winner when Mourinho’s team couldn’t create an opening before the incident. The suggestion that medical treatment should be ignored in order to win a game is a disappointing opinion and goes against the basic principles of a doctor’s service.
Off the pitch, I worry that his actions may cause further sexist abuse from supporters when football already has an ongoing battle with sexism in football. She repeatedly was a target at games against the Manchester clubs and Arsenal and I can only fear that amongst the messages of support, there are some mindless comments. Such comments could prevent a generation of female sports therapists, doctors and referees from entering football and I can only wish they ignore the ignorance and prejudice.
With ongoing condemnation from various football and medical circles of Mourinho’s decision to minimise Carneiro’s role with Chelsea’s first team and potential legal action, it’ll be interesting to see how this sorry case concludes. I can only hope the building pressure forces him to apologise and in an ideal world, restore her duties, but I highly doubt that. In an environment where Jose is never wrong or ever questioned, this is an insight into the harsh but competitive mentality of Mourinho’s era at Chelsea. It’s just a shame that a talented doctor must face the consequences of simply doing her job.
