Wenger, Pellegrini speak on Mourinho, doctor’s row

Arsene Wenger claims the public row between Jose Mourinho and Eva Carneiro could be a sign of disharmony at Chelsea.
Mourinho blew his top after club doctor Carneiro ran on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard against Swansea – and she has since been banished from the bench.
Wenger refused to wade into the row today – but he did admit the spat could be a sign that things are not quite right with the champions.
He said: “It’s a problem inside a club. It’s difficult enough and if you’re not united it’s more difficult. Trust and unity inside a club makes strength.
“That story at Chelsea, I have not followed that. I do not have great interest in what’s going.
“Secondly the rules are clear, when the ref gives indication for the medics to come on they can come on.
“After that, in this situation, I don’t know. But the rules are quite clear.
Similarly, Manuel Pellegrini insists that Manchester City’s clash with champions Chelsea at the Etihad on Sunday will be decided by ‘football things and not other things’ as he refused to be drawn on Jose Mourinho’s fallout with his club doctor Eva Carneiro.
Pellegrini’s strained relationship with Mourinho is well documented on the back of a long-running rivalry stretching back to their careers in Spanish football, but the City boss resisted the temptation to take advantage of the current storm engulfing the Portuguese coach.
Asked about Mourinho’s decision to axe Carneiro from his match day staff after she went onto the pitch to treat Hazard against Swansea last weekend, Pellegrini said: ‘I cannot give you an opinion about what happens at another club.
‘The players will be more interested in the game. They will be trying to win. As I just said, it is a team that can win the title.
‘To try and add points here at the Etihad is very important also. I think it will be just a game involving football things and not other things.’
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho played down the significance of dropping two members of his medical staff from match-day duties for treating an injured player, saying yesterday “we need disagreements to improve”.

Read also: Mourinho gets bashing for insulting doctor

Club doctor Carneiro and head physiotherapist Jon Fearn were publicly rebuked by Mourinho for entering the field at Stamford Bridge to treat Hazard late in Chelsea’s match against Swansea City in the Premier League last Saturday. It left Chelsea temporarily down to nine players because goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been sent off.
Mourinho confirmed that Carneiro and Fearn won’t be involved in tomorrow’s match at Manchester City, but said they could resume their roles this season.
Mourinho had a meeting with his “fantastic” medical department on Thursday and said he had no concerns about their relationship.
“They tell me all the time that they were never praised as much as they were by me in the last couple of years. They also told me yesterday that we have had disagreements during that period. We need disagreements to improve. We work together and we improve together. That is the way we do things. It is a relationship that is open to disagreement.”
British newspapers said yesterday that video footage has emerged, released by British broadcaster Sky Sports, showing Mourinho shouting derogatory words as the medical staff treated Hazard. It wasn’t clear if the words were directed specifically at Carneiro and Fearn.
“I am far from being ruthless. Far. Far,” Mourinho said. “I have a fantastic relation with almost everyone who works with me. I am open to mistake, I am open to communication, I am open to dialogue. I am open to critics, I make mistakes.”
Mourinho said the incident, which has topped the sporting agenda in England this week, has not affected preparations for the match against title rival City.
“If somebody thinks a disagreement between two members of the medical staff and the manager can affect the week, it’s somebody that doesn’t have a clue about what football is and about preparation for matches,” he said.

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now