Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will face no action after being cleared of making discriminatory comments towards then-club doctor Eva Carneiro during the match against Swansea on Aug. 8, the Football Association has announced.
The pair had a confrontation on the touchline towards the end of the Blues' opening game of the season against Swansea, with Mourinho afterwards criticising Carneiro and head physiotherapist Jon Fearn for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard.
That meant the Blues were temporarily down to nine men -- goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ahead already been sent off -- after Hazard left the field, and though the incident did not have an impact on the result, Carneiro and Fearn were criticised for being "impulsive and naive" by Mourinho.
Carneiro had her role at the club reduced following the incident, and has since parted company with the club.
There had been suggestions Mourinho had used abusive language towards Carneiro but the FA -- after analysing audio footage of the incident -- announced it "is satisfied that the words used do not constitute discriminatory language under FA Rules."
The statement read: "Following information brought to the attention of the FA regarding Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and alleged discriminatory comments made in the Premier League fixture between Swansea and Chelsea on Aug. 8, The FA has now concluded an investigation into the matter.
"The matter was brought to the attention of the FA on Sept. 8 and led to the appointment of an independent academic expert in Portuguese linguistics to analyse the footage of the incident which included the audio recording. After receiving the report from the expert, the FA is satisfied that the words used do not constitute discriminatory language under FA Rules.
"Furthermore, both the words used, as translated and analysed by the independent expert, and the video evidence, do not support the conclusion that the words were directed at any person in particular. Consequently, on the evidence available to it, the FA will take no further action in relation to this matter."
The Football Medical Association (FMA) confirmed last Wednesday that Carneiro's lawyers would be handling her case after she parted company with Chelsea.
FA board member Heather Rabbatts expressed her "sadness and anger" at Caneiro's exit from Chelsea, and claimed the doctor had been subjected to verbal abuse.
Mourinho said after the game: "I was unhappy with my medical staff. They were impulsive and naive. Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game."
The Football Association felt moved to defend its process after Women in Football declared itself ``appalled by the decision'' and questioned the FA's verdict.
A statement said: "Women in Football (WiF) are appalled by the conclusion of the FA investigation into Jose Mourinho's conduct during, and following, Chelsea's match against Swansea on 8th August 2015.
"Contrary to the FA's appointed expert's advice, which WiF has not seen, our own language expert made it abundantly clear that the abusive words used by Mr Mourinho on the touchline that day were specifically directed towards a woman, as indicated by the grammar of his sentence. Other Portuguese speakers we contacted in gathering evidence also emphasised this point. We therefore find it extraordinary that any expert or Portuguese speaker would report otherwise.
"WiF can only conclude that this latest investigation provides yet another damning example of the FA failing to tackle discrimination, specifically sexism, in the football industry. Once again we are concerned by what we can only perceive as serious flaws in the process of such investigations.''
