AFP, LONDON: Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has accused Jose Mourinho of "a failure of his personal judgement and public behaviour" after the Chelsea manager failed to apologise to team doctor Eva Carneiro.
Carneiro was dropped from first team duties after an incident on the opening day of the season when she and physio Jon Hearn were criticised by Chelsea manager Mourinho for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard. Mourinho felt Hazard wasn't seriously injured and didn't want the extra stoppage time that would result from the Belgian's treatment because his team were playing with 10 men.
Carneiro has since parted company with Chelsea, but the controversy surrounding the incident rumbles on, with Heather Rabbatts, an independent board member and the head of the FA's inclusion advisory board, on Thursday expressing disappointment with the governing body's disciplinary process in the case.
Just hours after Rabbatts' outburst, it was revealed Dyke had written a letter to FA council members in which he criticised Mourinho's behaviour and said he should have apologised.
"There have been some well-documented issues of late around equality and inclusion in the game, an issue where it is vital we continue to show clear leadership," Dyke is reported to have said in the letter. “I felt the handling of the case of the Chelsea doctor, Eva Carneiro, was a good example of this. We supported Heather Rabbatts' strong statement on the matter earlier in the month.
“Personally I don't think Mr Mourinho comes well out of the whole saga -- he clearly made a mistake in the heat of a game, and should have said so and apologised. “Instead he has said very little and Miss Carneiro has lost her job.
“Our regulatory team have investigated this and whilst Mr Mourinho has breached no rules it was clearly a failure of his personal judgement
and public behaviour. This should be seen as such by the game.”
Mourinho was cleared by the FA on Wednesday of making discriminatory comments towards Carneiro, but it has emerged that the FA made no attempt to interview Carneiro or even ask for a witness
statement, much to Rabbatts' frustration. “The FA's reaction to the treatment of Dr Eva Carneiro has been seriously disappointing,” Rabbatts said.
“I have major concerns over the way in which the disciplinary process has been conducted and the lack of an organisational response to the wider issues raised by this case.