Jose Mourinho has addressed his infamous touchline row with Dr Eva Carneiro for the first time in more than a decade without apologising to the former Chelsea doctor.
The former Chelsea boss discussed the incident in his new three-part Netflix docu-series titled MOURINHO. It marks the first time he has spoken about the episode since agreeing a settlement with the club's former doctor in 2016.
During a Premier League match against Swansea City at the start of the 2015-16 season, Mourinho reacted angrily when Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn went onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard, who had gone down appearing injured. Dr Carneiro claimed Mourinho sexually discriminated against her during his tirade and called her the "daughter of a wh***" in Portuguese. In his first public reaction at the time, Mourinho called her "impulsive and naive." She was dropped from first-team duties and left the club a month later.
Mourinho and Chelsea later agreed a settlement after Carneiro took them to a tribunal over claims she was discriminated against by the manager and constructively dismissed by the club.
Mourinho's explanation
Eleven years on, Mourinho said in the documentary that he treated Carneiro the same way he would treat a male doctor. He said that for him, a lady doctor is the same as a man's doctor, and that he uses his own vocabulary when he is not happy. He said there are words that come out in moments of very high tension, and that people with a football background usually get over such moments in one second, but that in this case it was different.
Hazard, who played under Mourinho for two years, said in the documentary that it was nothing special, but that with Mourinho everything is bigger. Footage shows Mourinho shouting a string of expletives at Carneiro and Fearn as they treated Hazard on the pitch.
Mourinho said he is not a doctor, but that his eyes know when a player is injured and when a player is not. He said he knew Hazard was not injured, but that the doctors went onto the pitch anyway, leaving the team with nine players.
Hazard was forced off the pitch briefly, as required when a player receives medical treatment, leaving Chelsea with nine men after Thibaut Courtois had already been sent off.
Terry's account
John Terry, Chelsea's captain during both of Mourinho's spells at Stamford Bridge, said in the documentary that it was well known among players and staff that the manager did not want his team doctors coming onto the pitch unless an injury was very serious. He said that was the understanding among players and that the medical staff bought into it too. Terry said it was a big moment for which Mourinho took a lot of backlash, and that there was a lot of heat on the football club.
The settlement
Chelsea gave Dr Carneiro an unreserved apology, but Mourinho refused to say sorry and grinned as he left the tribunal. A deal was struck in a back corridor of the court, and Chelsea issued a statement saying it regretted the circumstances that led to the former club doctor's departure and apologised unreservedly to her and her family for the distress caused.
The terms of the settlement remain secret, but the tribunal revealed that Chelsea had previously offered £1.2million to silence Carneiro. Mourinho did not apologise after the incident, at the tribunal, or in the documentary.
The three-part series covers Mourinho's career across three decades in professional football, including his trophy record and controversies. Terry and Frank Lampard are among the former players who feature. Mourinho, now Real Madrid manager, has won 26 major trophies during his coaching career.
