Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's actions over Eva Carneiro are 'unjust and extreme'

Jose Mourinho has been publicly critical of his medical staff in recent days

JOSE MOURINHO has been told that banishing club doctor Eva Carneiro from the touchline is "unjust in the extreme" as medics throughout sport rallied in their condemnation of the Chelsea manager.

 

The 41-year-old has been relieved of her touchline duties after she and physio Jon Fearn rushed to the assistance of Eden Hazard during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Swansea, leaving Chelsea an extra player short while he waited for permission to return to play from the referee.

However, a statement from Premier League Doctors' Group chairman, Dr Mark Gillett of West Brom, said: "The Premier League Doctors' Group considers that removing Dr Eva Carneiro from the Chelsea team bench for their next match is unjust in the extreme.

"Doctors working for Premier League teams are bound by the same professional and ethical boundaries as any other doctor. Maintenance of the duty of care from the doctor to the patient is fundamental to these guidelines, even when the patient is a footballer playing in a Premier League game.

"A refusal to run on to the pitch would have breached the duty of care required of the medical team to their patient. It is a huge concern that Dr Carneiro has been subjected to unprecedented media scrutiny and a change in her professional role, merely because she adhered to her code of professional conduct and did her job properly."

 

This view was echoed in a statement from the Football Medical Association which accused Mourinho of failing in his "duty of care" to his players.

"Factors extraneous to the immediate medical needs of the patient [such as the stage and state of the game] cannot be part of their consideration at such time," it said.

"If a player sustains or appears to sustain an injury and indicates that he needs assistance, it is the duty of the referee to permit medical assessment and evaluation to be provided.

"At that moment the player becomes a patient of the medical team and it is the duty and obligation of club medical staff to attend to that patient accordingly and without prejudice to the interests of anyone else including the club employing them."

 

Protocol dictates that, except in emergency circumstances, the referee asks the player if he wants medical assistance and ushers it on if it is requested. It is understood that was the process of events on Saturday after the incident which also involved Swansea's Gylfi Sigurdsson.

And the Professional Footballers' Association added to the outcry against the message being sent out by Mourinho, insisting that Hazard had a right to ask for treatment.

"The health and safety of our members is of paramount importance and the need, when required, for prompt assessment and treatment is critical in ensuring this," a statement said.

"The player and the referee are the initial judges as to whether treatment is required and the matter is then the responsibility of the highly qualified and trained medical staff."

 

The concern of the Football Association is that demotion of Carneiro, one of the highest-profile female medical workers in the men's game who has bravely stood up to vile sexist abuse from away fans on a number of occasions, will deter other women from a career in men's football.

The concern for Kelly Simmons MBE, FA Director for Participation and Development, is that the bad publicity will make it even harder for women to work in men's football.

She said: "We want to see more women in all roles in football so hopefully what has happened in the last 48 hours won't put off young women wanting to work in what is a fantastic industry."

Carneiro had thanked people for their support on Sunday, posting on Facebook: "I would like to thank the general public for their overwhelming support. Really very much appreciated."

That decision to go public has earned Mourinho one ally at least, Carneiro's predecessor as club doctor Ralph Rogers.

 

Eva Carneiro has been relieved of her touchline duties following Saturday's incident

"Her putting that on Facebook was extremely naive. That would upset anyone. What was she trying to achieve there? Are you bigger than the manager? You're never going to win, nor should you.

"You're the backroom staff, you're not there as a cheerleader. You can't be a celebrity doctor."

Moreover, Rogers suggested that Carneiro was not being punished simply because of events on Saturday.

"Who is to say that serious medical issues didn't happen in the past and this is the straw that broke the camel's back?" he added.

"My personal feeling is that Mourinho was frustrated and those frustrations were deep-seated."

Chelsea, meanwhile, have sold midfielder Oriol Romeu to Southampton for £5million. He has signed a three-year deal.