The Football Association has confirmed it is investigating a complaint that José Mourinho used abusive language during the incident in Chelsea’s game against Swansea City that led to the club doctor, Eva Carneiro, and the first-team physiotherapist, Jon Fearn, being stripped of their matchday duties.
According to a report in the Independent, the FA received a complaint after the match on 8 August, the opening day of the Premier League season, and the governing body’s compliance department are now studying video evidence.
“The FA has received an enquiry relating to an alleged incident during the Premier League fixture between Swansea v Chelsea on 8 August, and will make no further comment at this time,” read a statement.
Under rule E3, players and coaches can be penalised for using “offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures”, with Mourinho facing up to a five-match ban if he is found guilty. The Chelsea manager lost his cool towards the very end of the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, when Eden Hazard went down in the third minute of stoppage time and Carneiro and Fearn ran on to treat the winger. Chelsea were already down to 10 men, after the sending-off of Thibaut Courtois,
Sky Sports released video footage of the moment Mourinho lost his temper with his medical staff which appears to show the Portuguese calling one or both of them “son of a bitch”. According to the report, Carneiro has not returned to Chelsea’s Cobham training ground since being withdrawn from matchday duties, with Dr Chris Hughes and the physiotherapist Steven Hughes having replaced her and Fearn.
