Jose Mourinho's tantrum reveals the sexism running through football's veins
Jose Mourinho's tantrum reveals the sexism running through football's veins
Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro has reportedly been axed from her role on the Premier League side's bench, following a row with manager Jose Mourinho. Claire Cohen explains why you need to care
Eva Carneiro has an argument with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on the touchline Photo: REX
Imagine the following things happen to you at work.
A group of men chants “get your t***s out for the lads,” as you walk past them.
Another bloke shouts: “Show us where you p*** from you s***. Show us your m***.”
No one bats an eyelid.
Then your boss yells at you for doing your job and demotes you, despite being widely criticised for being in the wrong.
Welcome to Dr Eva Carneiro’s life as first-team doctor at Chelsea Football Club.
At the weekend, Dr Carneiro was lambasted by Jose Mourinho for running on to the pitch to treat player Eden Hazard during stoppage time of the club’s 2-2 draw against Swansea City.
Never mind that she was doing what she gets paid for. Never mind that she would have been called on to the pitch by either the referee or the player himself and that physio Jon Fearn went on to the field alongside her.
Cue major Mourinho tantrum on the sidelines.
After the match on Saturday, the Chelsea manager explained:
“I wasn't happy with my medical staff because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game.”
“If you go to the pitch to assist a player, then you must be sure that a player has a serious problem. I was sure that Eden didn't have a serious problem. He had a knock and was very 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.”
Thanks for that Jose. Next time I’m worried about something at work, I’ll go up to someone whose job I couldn’t possibly hope to do and scream at them.
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Sigh.
• Eva Carneiro braced for axe from Chelsea bench after criticism from Mourinho
Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro responds to Jose Mourinho's criticism
In the aftermath of the incident, support has poured in for Carneiro, who’s been with Chelsea since 2009.
It’s made a welcome change from the sexist abuse I reproduced above, which she was subjected to at Old Trafford by Manchester United fans, earlier this year.
And Carneiro, 41 who was born in Gibraltar, posted a message on Facebook:
“I would like to thank the general public for their overwhelming support. Really very much appreciated.”
Photo: Facebook
How depressing, that one of the women at the forefront of football in this country feels she has to thank the public for encouraging her to simply do her job.
Reports now suggest that Mourinho has moved Carneiro off the bench in a backroom shake-up that will see her relegated from training sessions, games and the players’ hotel. She will still carry out her work with first-team players at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground in what is being seen as a ‘re-tasking of duties’.
For which read: red card.
Carneiro’s reported demotion has already caused outrage on social media, with many Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United fans urging their clubs to ‘sign her’.
Chelsea fans are upset, criticising Mourinho for ‘blaming anyone but himself’. While others are accusing him of sexism, following an earlier incident this month where he ranted at the wife of Real Madrid manager Rafael Benítez, saying she should ‘occupy herself’ by ‘taking care of her husband’s diet’.
There are also those asking that we leave Carneiro’s gender out of the equation – but I’m afraid that’s impossible.
By saying that she doesn’t “understand the game”, Mourinho has made this all about her gender. The insidious narrative he’s perpetrating is that, as a woman, Carneiro couldn’t possibly grasp the complexities of football. It’s the old, sexist joke about women not getting the offside rule, on a massive scale.
Such comments, coming from a highly respected football manager, are dangerous. They give fans the impression that it’s OK to make Carneiro’s sex an issue. That maybe they were right to treat her differently. That she really in an outsider.
He has sanctioned their sexism, as the below tweets (just a sample of the comments Carneiro receives on social media) show. And one can’t help but speculate that Carneiro might agree.
Last year, at an FA sports medicine conference in Sweden, the Chelsea doctor made a rare public speech:
"Women want to be leaders, we just put them off as we go along," she told the audience.
"In every programme I've watched in my life, the female doctor is either hyper-sexualised or she's not present. This needs to change. Women are discouraged at a young age.
"As a male you can aspire to having a successful professional life and a fulfilling personal life. Women are told that if they want to have both, at best it's going to be difficult and at worse it's going to be a disaster. Ninety percent of the mail I receive is from young women wanting to perform the same role. We need to tell them it’s possible and that their presence will improve results."
Carneiro doesn’t need special treatment. She has, to my knowledge, never asked for it.
But nor does she need a boss who tells her how to do her job, when she’s already playing by the rules – those set by football’s overwhelmingly male governing bodies (that Mourinho admitted he knew Hazard wasn’t properly injured only highlights where the grey area really lies here).
For this talented doctor to be demoted, simply for performing her job as asked, shows the sexism that flows through the veins of the beautiful game.
And I, for one, am calling foul.
Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro has reportedly been axed from her role on the Premier League side's bench, following a row with manager Jose Mourinho. Claire Cohen explains why you need to care
Eva Carneiro has an argument with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on the touchline Photo: REX
Imagine the following things happen to you at work.
A group of men chants “get your t***s out for the lads,” as you walk past them.
Another bloke shouts: “Show us where you p*** from you s***. Show us your m***.”
No one bats an eyelid.
Then your boss yells at you for doing your job and demotes you, despite being widely criticised for being in the wrong.
Welcome to Dr Eva Carneiro’s life as first-team doctor at Chelsea Football Club.
At the weekend, Dr Carneiro was lambasted by Jose Mourinho for running on to the pitch to treat player Eden Hazard during stoppage time of the club’s 2-2 draw against Swansea City.
Never mind that she was doing what she gets paid for. Never mind that she would have been called on to the pitch by either the referee or the player himself and that physio Jon Fearn went on to the field alongside her.
Cue major Mourinho tantrum on the sidelines.
After the match on Saturday, the Chelsea manager explained:
“I wasn't happy with my medical staff because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game.”
“If you go to the pitch to assist a player, then you must be sure that a player has a serious problem. I was sure that Eden didn't have a serious problem. He had a knock and was very 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.”
Thanks for that Jose. Next time I’m worried about something at work, I’ll go up to someone whose job I couldn’t possibly hope to do and scream at them.
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Sigh.
• Eva Carneiro braced for axe from Chelsea bench after criticism from Mourinho
Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro responds to Jose Mourinho's criticismIn the aftermath of the incident, support has poured in for Carneiro, who’s been with Chelsea since 2009.
It’s made a welcome change from the sexist abuse I reproduced above, which she was subjected to at Old Trafford by Manchester United fans, earlier this year.
And Carneiro, 41 who was born in Gibraltar, posted a message on Facebook:
“I would like to thank the general public for their overwhelming support. Really very much appreciated.”
Photo: FacebookHow depressing, that one of the women at the forefront of football in this country feels she has to thank the public for encouraging her to simply do her job.
Reports now suggest that Mourinho has moved Carneiro off the bench in a backroom shake-up that will see her relegated from training sessions, games and the players’ hotel. She will still carry out her work with first-team players at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground in what is being seen as a ‘re-tasking of duties’.
For which read: red card.
Carneiro’s reported demotion has already caused outrage on social media, with many Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United fans urging their clubs to ‘sign her’.
Chelsea fans are upset, criticising Mourinho for ‘blaming anyone but himself’. While others are accusing him of sexism, following an earlier incident this month where he ranted at the wife of Real Madrid manager Rafael Benítez, saying she should ‘occupy herself’ by ‘taking care of her husband’s diet’.
Eva Carneiro did nothing wrong. She was doing her job. She surely can't lose her position at Chelsea over this
Eva Carneiro did what any professional should, and Mourinho seems to forget the other 89 minutes in which Chelsea could have played to win.
By saying that she doesn’t “understand the game”, Mourinho has made this all about her gender. The insidious narrative he’s perpetrating is that, as a woman, Carneiro couldn’t possibly grasp the complexities of football. It’s the old, sexist joke about women not getting the offside rule, on a massive scale.
Such comments, coming from a highly respected football manager, are dangerous. They give fans the impression that it’s OK to make Carneiro’s sex an issue. That maybe they were right to treat her differently. That she really in an outsider.
He has sanctioned their sexism, as the below tweets (just a sample of the comments Carneiro receives on social media) show. And one can’t help but speculate that Carneiro might agree.
When Eva carneiro is in the stadium, everybody stops looking at the ball
Guess what, its her they're looking at
Eva Carneiro suffered sexist chants? Bet she loves it on the sly. And up the arse. You definitely would #MUFC
Last year, at an FA sports medicine conference in Sweden, the Chelsea doctor made a rare public speech:
"Women want to be leaders, we just put them off as we go along," she told the audience.
"In every programme I've watched in my life, the female doctor is either hyper-sexualised or she's not present. This needs to change. Women are discouraged at a young age.
"As a male you can aspire to having a successful professional life and a fulfilling personal life. Women are told that if they want to have both, at best it's going to be difficult and at worse it's going to be a disaster. Ninety percent of the mail I receive is from young women wanting to perform the same role. We need to tell them it’s possible and that their presence will improve results."
Carneiro doesn’t need special treatment. She has, to my knowledge, never asked for it.
But nor does she need a boss who tells her how to do her job, when she’s already playing by the rules – those set by football’s overwhelmingly male governing bodies (that Mourinho admitted he knew Hazard wasn’t properly injured only highlights where the grey area really lies here).
For this talented doctor to be demoted, simply for performing her job as asked, shows the sexism that flows through the veins of the beautiful game.
And I, for one, am calling foul.
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