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Eva Carneiro: FA 'at no stage' asked about alleged Jose Mourinho remarks

Former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro has broken her silence to insist the Football Association never requested she make a statement and effectively ignored some evidence in its investigation into alleged remarks made to her by Jose Mourinho.

Carneiro also said the FA did not ask her for a statement after being the victim of sexist abuse at West Ham last season and criticised the lack of support from the football authorities.

Carneiro was dropped from first-team duties after Chelsea manager Mourinho criticised her for going onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during the opening match of the season against Swansea. She has since parted company with the club, while this week Mourinho was cleared by the FA of making discriminatory remarks.

In a statement to Press Association Sport she said: "I was surprised to learn that the FA was allegedly investigating the incident of 8th of August via the press. I was at no stage requested by the FA to make a statement.

"I wonder whether this might be the only formal investigation in this country where the evidence of the individuals involved in the incident was not considered relevant. Choosing to ignore some of the evidence will surely influence the outcome of the findings."

The FA said it had contacted Carneiro's lawyers, who had an opportunity to make a statement. It is understood that had a formal request been made she would have done so but she was still formally employed by Chelsea at the time.

Carneiro's statement added: "Last season I had a similar experience at a game at West Ham FC, where I was subject to verbal abuse. Following complaints by the public, the FA produced a communication to the press saying there had been no sexist chanting during this game. At no time was I approached for a statement despite the fact that vile, unacceptable, sexually explicit abuse was clearly heard.

"It is incidents such as these and the lack of support from the football authorities that make it so difficult for women in the game."

The FA's independent board member Heather Rabbatts has criticised the organisation for not interviewing Carneiro herself, and she thanked Rabbatts for speaking up for her.

"I admire what Heather Rabbatts has done and thank her and friends and colleagues who have supported me at this very difficult time," she said.

Rabbatts, head of the FA's inclusion advisory board, said she had "major concerns" regarding the FA's disciplinary process which saw Mourinho cleared, and that the FA's handling of the case was "seriously disappointing."

FA chairman Greg Dyke did criticise Mourinho's handling of the incident however. In a letter to FA council members, a copy of which has been obtained by Press Association Sport, he said Mourinho committed "a failure of his personal judgement and public behaviour".

Dyke said in the letter: "Personally I don't think Mr Mourinho comes well out of the whole saga -- he clearly made a mistake in the heat of a game, and should have said so and apologised.

"Instead he has said very little and Miss Carneiro has lost her job.

"Our regulatory team have investigated this and whilst Mr Mourinho has breached no rules it was clearly a failure of his personal judgement and public behaviour. This should be seen as such by the game."

Mourinho was asked about the Carneiro case three times at his weekly press conference but refused to comment on the controversy.

He said: "For the past two months I didn't open my mouth and I'm going to keep it like this. One day I will speak and I will choose a day.

"I'm quiet about it for a long time. I read and I listen and I watch and I'm quiet. My time to speak will arrive when I decide."

The case is the first major test of new FA chief executive Martin Glenn, and the FA said in response to Carneiro's statement: "We have never received any information or complaint from Dr Carneiro.

"Including in written correspondence with her lawyers, it has been made explicitly clear that if Dr Carneiro had evidence to provide or wished to make a complaint she was more than welcome to do so. That route remains open."

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