Lawyer: Carneiro heard Mourinho utter sexist slur during tirade
Jose Mourinho allegedly called former Chelsea first-team doctor Eva Carneiro a "daughter of a whore" when she ran onto the pitch during the opening match of the 2015-16 Premier League season to treat an injured Eden Hazard.
The 42-year-old Carneiro is claiming constructive dismissal against the club while also bringing a separate legal action against Mourinho for alleged sex discrimination and harassment following the incident, which took place in the later stages of a contest against Swansea City in August.
It ultimately led her to leave Chelsea in September.
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Monday, the first of what is expected to be a 7-10 day tribunal in Croydon, the three-person panel heard from lawyers for both Carneiro and the two accused parties. A significant portion of the case is expected to hinge on the precise phrasing of what Mourinho muttered to Carneiro as she raced onto the pitch with first-team physio John Fearn to tend to Hazard.
Robert Booth of the Guardian explains:
The three-person tribunal heard that Mourinho called Carneiro "filha da puta" as she went on to the pitch to treat Hazard in the match against Swansea. Mourinho, in his witness statement denies that and claims he shouted "filho da puta," which means son of a whore, and that it was not directed at the doctor.
"As she ran on to the pitch she heard clearly from behind her the words filha da puta," said Mary O'Rourke QC, appearing for the claimant. "She's a Portuguese speaker. It was not filho da puta, it was filha da puta … you say filha da puta when you are denigrating a woman. He is saying it to the back of the claimant who is doing something he didn't like … that is the context."
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Daniel Stilitz QC, representing Chelsea, refuted the above claim.
"Filho da puta is a phrase he often uses," he said, offering that Mourinho said "son of a bitch." "There is no sexist connotation." He added that the Portuguese bench boss, now in charge at Manchester United, often uses the derogatory phrase in training and during matches.
The Football Association cleared Mourinho of using any discriminatory language toward his compatriot after an internal investigation, though the governing body was rightfully criticised in the aftermath of the ruling for not interviewing Carneiro.
The hearing in Croydon is set to resume Tuesday, when Carneiro is expected to provide testimony.