BEVERLY HILLS, June 07, (THEWILL) – Chelsea Football Club has revealed that its former team doctor, Eva Carneiro, on Tuesday agreed a deal to settle a case against Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho for alleged discrimination for an undisclosed sum.
“The parties agreed to the settlement of this dispute on confidential terms,” a representative of the club said at the start of a brief hearing at a London employment tribunal.
A skeleton argument submitted to the tribunal on behalf of Chelsea and Mourinho said Carneiro had been “made an open offer of £1.2 million ($1.73 million, 1.52 million euros) to settle her claims.”
The tribunal was examining a claim of constructive dismissal against Chelsea and a connected, personal legal action against Mourinho, who left the Blues in December, for alleged victimisation and sexual discrimination.
Mourinho had dropped Carneiro as Chelsea’s first team doctor after she and physio Jon Fearn went on the pitch to treat midfielder Eden Hazard, obliging him to leave the field of play before being readmitted in the Blues’ opening match of last season in the English Premier League, a 2-2 draw at home to Swansea on August 8.
Carneiro defended her actions in her statement, saying “my priority has always been the health and safety of the players and fulfilling my duty of care as a doctor.
“In running onto the pitch to treat a player, who requested medical attention, I was following the rules of the game and fulfilling my medical responsibilities.”
She alleges that Mourinho berated her and shouted “filha da puta” at her — Portuguese for daughter of a whore — after she ran on the pitch during the match.
“The club regrets the circumstances which led to Dr Carneiro leaving the club and apologises unreservedly to her and her family for the distress caused,” the club said in a statement.
Chelsea accepted that the doctor had “always put the interests of the club’s players first,” calling her a “highly competent and professional sports doctor.”
“Jose Mourinho also thanks Dr Carneiro for the excellent and dedicated support she provided,” it added.
Carneiro said she was “relieved” to have concluded the tribunal case, calling it an “extremely difficult and distressing time for me and my family,” in a statement she issued after the announcement.
Story by David Oputah
