I received threats of sexual violence and death threats, reveals ex-Chelsea doctor

Former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro revealed she received death threats following her exit from the club and insisted not enough is being done to tackle sexism in football.

The 43-year-old left Chelsea in 2015 after public criticism from former manager Jose Mourinho before settling her case against the club in the summer.

Carneiro was publicly criticised by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho after going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard against Swansea at Stamford Bridge in August 2015.

Carneiro, who claimed constructive dismissal against Chelsea, also reached a discrimination settlement with Mourinho and the club apologised “unreservedly” to the former first-team doctor for the distress caused.

She left Stamford Bridge in September 2015, but admitted online abuse continued after her exit.

“Even though I don’t have a presence on social media – I think I have made one post ever in my life – some of the threats of sexual violence and death threats make it through,” she told the Telegraph.

“They (the abusers) just seem to be faceless cowards and they should be answerable to legislation.”

And Carneiro, who now works at her own clinic on Harley Street in London, also believes the issue of sexism in football is going unchecked, unlike racism, and needs be taken more seriously.

“It is one thing to say, ‘We will end discrimination’ and I think it is widely accepted that discrimination exists in the sport,” she said.

“I think sexism is the least challenged form of discrimination. Anti-Semitic and other racist comments are widely condemned and I don’t think that is the case (with sexism) and it begs the question what that leaves room for behind the scenes.

“It is widely accepted that football has a discrimination problem. I really do feel that way, but I think it is the least challenged form of discrimination.

“Growing up I didn’t think it (gender inequality) was going to be a problem. It never even occurred to me there would be differences in what we could achieve, or what we were told we could achieve, by being girls or boys.

“At university more than 50 per cent of the intake in medical school is female, so a female doctor wanting to do anything from trauma surgery to working in the military is not surprising. Seeking specialist training in certain sports, male colleagues found that quite surprising. There was very much a dialogue of bringing attention to my gender or objectifying me in some way. They described that as a limit to my career progression in that direction, which I was stunned by. It was a dialogue more appropriate for the 1950s.”