Chelsea: Eva Carneiro ‘sues’ the Blues but the secretary tag need not be sexist
Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro is to sue the club, says the Sun. On what charge? What’s the crime?
Neil Curtis explains:
It is understood Carneiro could claim sexism in part of her case, alleging that Mourinho referred to her as ‘a secretary’.
Mourinho belittled her in public. It was pathetic. But surely a man can be a secretary? Alan Shaw is company secretary at Chelsea Football Club. John Alexander is Man United’s club secretary.
This is Arsenal club secretary David Miles:
Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Non-Executive Director of Manchester City, is Under Secretary to the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court. The board at Tottenham includes Kevan Watts, who spent seven years at H M Treasury which included two years as Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary.
So much for secretaries. In fact, we demand that more secretaries in football are women. Dr Carneiro could sue.
The Sun hears from Mary O’Rourke, a QC and medical expert, who opines:
“Ninety five per cent of secretaries are women. Everyone listening would have taken it as a comment that women don’t know anything about football. I have interpreted it as disrespectful to women supporters and women working in football.”
It was crass. It was dismissive and high-handed. It was very possibly a sexist slur. But in a court of law, it’s surely bunkum.
So much for the case. What of the facts? Well, the Sun’s report contains not a single word from Dr Carneiro, nor from a lawyer representing her.
Posted: 9th, September 2015 | In: Chelsea, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
