Comment

If Manchester United sign Jose Mourinho they condone the sexism ingrained in English football

Eva Carneiro and Jose Mourinho
Eva Carneiro and Jose Mourinho Credit: BPI/REX Shutterstock

Fantasy’. ‘Not true’. ‘I have never heard this allegation before’.

When Jose Mourinho was pictured, this week, holding what appeared to be a file of notes relating to the sexism claim being brought against him by Dr Eva Carneiro – you could almost hear the ripple of recognition.

We’ve all been so wrapped up in the will-he-won’t-he pendulum swinging between the former Chelsea FC manager and his reported new role at Manchester United, that it’s all too easy to forget what a turbulent season the so-called ‘special one’ had - and, frankly, what contributed to his being on the managerial bench in the first place.

It’s been 10 months since Mourinho came under fire for his treatment of former Chelsea medic Carneiro.

A quick recap: During the club’s 2-2 draw against Swansea City, Mourinho lambasted Carneiro, 42, for running into the pitch to treat player Eden Hazard. Never mind that she was doing her job. Never mind that she was summoned on to the pitch twice by the referee Michael Oliver. Mourinho threw his toys out of the pram.

After the match, he fumed: “I wasn't happy with my medical staff because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game.

Carneiro was promptly axed, amid accusations of rank sexism – mine included.

On June 6, Carneiro’s claim for constructive dismissal will be heard, though it seems Chelsea have indemnified Mourinho against any personal liability for damages. Indeed, it’s not even known whether he’ll be ordered to appear (he didn’t turn up to two preliminary hearings). We can’t even know whether the notes scrawled on that wad of paper, pictured this week, were in his hand.

But one thing is for sure: Manchester United need to thing long and hard about appointing him at all.

The 53-year-old has shown little understanding – let alone remorse - of the furore his treatment of Carneiro caused last summer. This, despite his behaviour being roundly condemned by the fans and football authorities including Fifa, the FSEM and Arsenal manager Wenger (though he was cleared of using discriminatory language by the FA). The Portuguese-born manager was accused of ‘blaming anyone but himself’.

Portuguese football manager Jose Mourinho is pictured carrying written notes
Portuguese football manager Jose Mourinho is pictured carrying written notes Credit: Getty

At a hurriedly delivered press conference, a few days after he axed Carneiro, we were offered a masterclass in Mourinho manoeuvring - without explanation, or apology.

“It’s my decision, nobody else’s decision… I have to choose,” he said. Like we didn’t know who was in charge.

Carneiro, for her part, posted a single message on Facebook reading:

“I would like to thank the general public for their overwhelming support. Really very much appreciated.”

Since then, we’ve heard little. We know that Eva married polar explorer Jason De Carteret in November and honeymooned in South Africa. We know that she’s being represented in court by Mary O’Rourke QC – a Manchester United season ticket holder. We know she wants a 'public apology' from Mourinho.

Other than that, her voice hasn’t been heard. And is it any wonder? Even during the halcyon days of her role at Chelsea, the game’s best-known female doctor was subject to abuse from the stands and on social media.

In March 2015, Carneiro – who had been with the club since 2009 - was the victim of sexist chants.

A group of men shouted ‘get your t***s out for the lads’; ‘Show us where you p*** from you s***. Show us your m***’ – as she tried to do her job, in an incident recorded on a smartphone.

And where did this abuse occur? Which rival fans were responsible? You guessed it - Manchester United, the very club Mourinho seems set to take over.

And therein lies the problem. Sexism – the sort Mourinho has tried to brush-off – is endemic in football.

By saying that his former female media didn’t “understand the game”, he brought gender discrimination firmly into the spotlight. The patronising narrative he perpetuated was that, as a woman, Carneiro just didn’t really get it.

And it’s all too easy to forget that the Carneiro incident came hot on the heels of another, smaller, sexism row for Mourinho. Earlier that same month, August 2015, he’d ranted at the wife of former Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez, saying she should ‘occupy herself’ by ‘taking care of her husband’s diet.’

Such comments, coming from a highly respected football manager, are dangerous and disgraceful. They give fans the impression that it’s OK to make sex an issue. That maybe they’re right to treat women differently – as outsiders.

By ignoring the Carneiro furore and hoping that this wronged woman would shut up and go away, Mourinho made a grave error. He missed a unique opportunity to tackle sexism in football, rehabilitate his own image and sail into Manchester United with something approaching a clean slate.

This, after all, is the biggest football club in the world. The one that children, kicking balls around in dusty developing countries, have heard of (you can thank David Beckham for that).

What a strong example it would have set, had Mourinho looked sexism straight in the eye and refused to condone it. Instead, he sanctioned it with his silence. And if Manchester United appoint him as manager now – that’s exactly the message they‘ll be condoning, too.

But there is still hope. If Eva Carneiro’s case isn’t settled on June 6, it will be heard in public and could include the disclosure of emails and text messages.

Perhaps then we – and the powers that be in football – will see just how far sexism flows through football’s veins.

Manchester United might want to think twice about issuing Mourinho’s contract until that happens.

 

License this content