Former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has been promised the full backing of FIFA's medical chief in her legal case against the Premier League club
Eva Carneiro
London: Former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has been promised the full backing of FIFA's medical chief in her legal case against the Premier League club.
Eva Carneiro. Pic/AFP
Carneiro is taking action against the club for constructive dismissal and an individual action against Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho for victimisation and discrimination. She was dropped from first-team duties after Mourinho criticised her for going onto the pitch to treat a player on the opening day of the season.
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FIFA's medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe has now revealed he has been in touch with Carneiro to offer his support and that of the world governing body. He has backed Carneiro's insistence that she was simply doing her job.
D'Hooghe said: "Of course I support Eva Carneiro. She did her job, she did her duty - when somebody is medically in trouble she has to intervene. Of course she has my support and the whole medical committee's.
"I have had email contact with her and she is very happy with the global support of the medical world in football."
D'Hooghe said the fall-out from the case could mean that Carneiro may find it difficult to find a new job in football but that he would do what he could to help her.
He added: "I can imagine that in the short term she might have some problems with that but with her personality and her competence she must certainly have a great future and if I can help her I will do it."
The controversy over Carneiro goes back to August 8, the opening day of the season, when Mourinho criticised her and head physio Jon Fearn for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard after being called on by referee Michael Oliver.
The action meant that Chelsea were temporarily down to nine men against Swansea, and afterwards Mourinho called Carneiro and Fearn "impulsive and naive''.
Carneiro did not appear on the bench again for first-team duties and has parted company with the club.
Mourinho was cleared of using discriminatory language towards her following an investigation by the Football Association, but he is now the subject of a separate but connected claim.
The cases are likely to be heard early in 2016 unless they are settled beforehand.
In the wake of the controversy, FIFA's medical committee is to draw up a new code of ethics for managers and team doctors.
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