Club doctor Eva Carneiro leaves Chelsea, may take legal action after Jose Mourinho dismissed her

Club doctor Eva Carneiro has left Chelsea and may pursue legal action against the club and Jose Mourinho

Six weeks after Jose Mourinho criticized the medical staff for treating Eden Hazard on the pitch, club doctor Eva Carneiro has left the club, according to BBC. Carneiro was criticized by Mourinho and branded ‘naive’ when Chelsea were already a man down and risked going down to nine men while Hazard received treatment.

Carneiro was eventually removed from first team duties and was not even allowed to come to the Cobham ground where the first team trained. The 42-year-old was later asked to return to the club, but she has refused and may even take legal action against the London club for wrongful dismissal.

The FA is also reportedly looking into whether Mourinho had used abusive and/or sexist language aimed at Carneiro. Video footage showed Mourinho to have abused Carneiro when she got back to the bench after treating Hazard.

How did it happen?

In Chelsa’s first league game against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge, the score was tied at 2-2 when Hazard was brought down by a Gylfi Sigurdsson tackle. While the Belgian didn’t immediately get up, referee Michael Oliver signalled the Chelsea bench to treat the forward. Both Carneiro and physiotherapist Jon Fearn rushed on to the pitch, much to Mourinho’s dissatisfaction.

“I was unhappy with my medical staff. They were impulsive and naive,” Mourinho had said. “Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game.

“You have to know you have one player less and to assist a player you must be sure he has a serious problem. I was sure Eden did not have a serious problem. He had a knock. He was tired.

“My medical department left me with eight fit (outfield) players in a counter-attack after a set-piece and we were worried we didn't have enough players left!”

More: Why Jose Mourinho is to blame in the Eva Carneiro fallout at Chelsea

FA board member express anger at Carneiro’s exit from Chelsea

According to The Guardian, Football Association board member Heather Rabbatts and chair of the FA's Inclusion Advisory Board Heather Rabbatts said: “News of Dr Eva Carneiro’s departure from Chelsea FC makes me feel sadness and anger,” said Rabbatts, who is chair of the FA’s inclusion advisory board.

“Eva was one of the few very senior women in the game, a highly respected doctor who has acted with professional integrity in difficult circumstances and whose skills have been highly praised by her colleagues, the club and governing bodies.”

“On the 8th August Eva fulfilled her duty as the senior medic and responded to the referee to enter the field of play to treat a player. Any other response would have been a dereliction of her duty and a breach of GMC guidelines as confirmed recently by the organisation of Premier League doctors.

“In acting properly she was then subject to verbal abuse and public criticism and in effect demoted by her removal from the bench. Her departure raises a serious question on how players are safeguarded if their medical support is compromised.

“The footage of the abuse she has endured in silence from the stands during her career is something we should all be ashamed of. Being passionate about the game is also about standing up against abusive chanting, bullying and insults to a fellow professional.”

Update: FMA confirms Carneiro’s lawyers will handle the case

The FMA (Football Medical Association) – the body for medical staff in the game – have confirmed that Eva’s lawyers will handle her case after she parted company with the club.

The FMA has been representing Carneiro in negotiating with Chelsea and says it is “extremely disappointed” she will not resume her full duties.

The statement read: “As the representative body for medicine and science personnel in the professional game, the FMA aims to protect the rights of its members.

“Having recently been contacted by Eva, we have offered our full support in attempting to negotiate a satisfactory outcome. Unfortunately, this has not resulted in our preferred outcome. Chelsea considers this now to be an internal matter and it is for Chelsea and Eva’s appointed lawyers to discuss any further action.”