Ever since, Jose Mourinho opened his mouth to criticise his Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro after Saturday's 2-2 draw, the issue has dogged the club - especially with reports that she will no longer be directly involved at training or match-days (one must note that the club have not confirmed that).
Some commentators have mused whether other underlying issues - other than a disagreement over Carneiro entering the field of play to treat Chelsea's Eden Hazard - may have influenced Mourinho's apparent anger.
And one journalist, Duncan Castles has suggested that "misgivings" from some players over the presence of a female team doctor in the dressing room could be a factor.
In an article for One World Sport, Castles, who is a Sunday Times and Sports Illustrated contributor, makes the claim:
"Mourinho is said to have held reservations about Carneiro's role within the first-team squad since at least last year. While there is no question about her professional abilities, the Portuguese coach was concerned that the dressing room dynamic was affected by the presence of a female. According to a source, some players had expressed misgivings to the coaching staff about the set-up, arguing that it forced them to alter their usual behavior in a team environment. Famous for his attention to detail, Mourinho has always sought to eliminate factors that might reduce his team's likelihood to win matches."
The story was also discussed on the Off The Ball Football Show last night:
Read the full piece here:
Eden Hazard incident 'not only reason' for Eva Carneiro's removal from #CFC first-team duties. http://t.co/Zqjt8LLoAp pic.twitter.com/MkxvdyB9wf
— Duncan Castles (@DuncanCastles) August 12, 2015
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