Mourinho threatens to leave press conference after team doctor questions

FURIOUS Jose Mourinho threatened to walk out of
a press conference yesterday after being quizzed over the axing of club doctor Eva Carneiro, according to Daily Star.

The Portuguese coach started to walk away until he was persuaded to stay by Chelsea's head of communications, Steve Atkins.

But Stamford Bridge boss Mourinho did offer an olive branch to Carneiro and first-team physio Jon Fearn by insisting their bench absence may not be permanent.

Mourinho was angry at the pair for rushing on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard in the draw with Swansea a week ago, because when Hazard had to come off the champions were left with only eight outfield players after keeper Thibaut Courtois had earlier been sent off.

He is understood to have been seething at Carneiro, 41, for posting a thank-you message on Facebook after fans rallied behind her.

Mourinho was wary at the start of the conference, which was to talk about tomorrow's game against title rivals Manchester City.

"Probably there are some people here who don't even like football," he said.

"Jon Fearn and Dr Caneiro will not be on the bench.

"But it doesn't mean that Sunday is the rest of our season, or the rest of our careers.

"If you want to speak with me about football, I'm here.

"But if you want to speak about other issues, I am not here."

Later he was pressed to respond to almost universal condemnation of his outburst with the suggestion being that Carneiro and Fearn were just doing their job.

"Don't make me another question or I go," said Mourinho as he started to lose his cool.

"Think twice before you ask the question."

But when he asked about whether a meeting he called this week with his medical team had been attended by Carneiro and Fearn, he began to walk out.

"Now I go, have a good weekend," he said, before Atkins persuaded him to stay, saying: "Jose, give it one second."

"Let's talk about Man City or I go," said Mourinho as he returned.

But he then went on to make an impassioned speech about his stars' health being paramount.

"The player is more important than the result, the manager and the referee," he said.

Denying he was "ruthless," Mourinho refused to say whether he had spoken to Hazard about why he had called for medical assistance, sparking the controversy.