Jose Mourinho stands by criticism of Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has stood by his criticism of club medical staff.
Dr Eva Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn were criticised by Mourinho after they left his side with nine men against Swansea by treating Eden Hazard.
Carneiro and Fearn will not be on the bench for Sunday's match at Manchester City, but Mourinho has not ruled out their return.
He met with his medical staff on Thursday and says they have a "good relationship".
However, it is understood Carneiro has sought legal advice over the issue.
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| Mourinho threatened to walk out of the briefing with newspaper journalists, which follows the regular pre-match broadcast news conference. |
| Faced with another question on the medics, an exasperated Mourinho said: "Don't make me another question or I go. I go. Think twice before you ask the question. Think twice." |
| The Portuguese was perplexed by the suggestions he was a powerful figure. "Power, oh my word," Mourinho said. "Power? Jesus Christ! Power of what?" |
Carneiro and Fearn tended to Hazard after he was tripped in the final minutes of Saturday's 2-2 draw with the Welsh club, meaning the Belgium forward had to leave the pitch.
It reduced Chelsea to nine men as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had already been sent off, and Mourinho afterwards said his medical staff were "impulsive and naive" and did not "understand the game".
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Mourinho said: "Jon Fearn and Dr Carneiro will not be on the bench. But that doesn't mean they cannot be in the future. It is my decision."
Asked whether he regretted his outburst, Mourinho said he had an "open relationship" with his medical staff that was "open to disagreement".
Mourinho praised his "fantastic" medical department, adding: "They tell me they have never been praised as much as they have done by me in the last couple of years.
"They also told me that we have had disagreements during that period, we need disagreements to improve. We work together and we improve together."
Eamonn Salmon, chief executive of the Football Medical Association - which represents professional medical staff in the sport - backed Carneiro and Fearn while Liverpool's former head of medicine Peter Brukner called for Mourinho to apologise.
Carneiro posted on Facebook thanking people for their support, a move that was criticised by a former Chelsea first team doctor Ralph Rogers.
Mourinho added: "Every week I face a decision about the bench. I have to choose. With the medical department, only two can go on the bench and we have more than a dozen.
"The bench is important for some. For others it is about what they do behind the scenes and for the good of the team."
Mourinho refused to answer any other questions about the incident, telling journalists: "Speak with me about football. Speak about other issues and I am not here."
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