Mourinho's Season of Doom Continues with Legal Action from Eva Carneiro

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports UK.

It's fair to say that Jose Mourinho is having a horrendous season as Chelsea boss, with his club losing games like they're important government documents and the Special One's media image disintegrating into a sludgy mess of conspiracy theories and the words "nothing to say".

Ultimately, however, it's just football – a game, a pastime, a distraction. And if he is given the sack for his side's Sunderland-esque form the payoff will be astronomical, and he'll get to spend Christmas on a Caribbean island rather than in drizzly West London shouting at a baffled and hypothermic Pedro while the Spanish winger learns the true meaning of winter.

What might spoil the aforementioned yuletide jaunt is a legal claim by his club's former team doctor Eva Carneiro, who will individually name Jose in her case against Chelsea for constructive dismissal. That could make him personally liable for damages against Miss Carneiro, who was demoted following her decision to treat the injured Eden Hazard during Chelsea's draw with Swansea City (which, in hindsight, was actually a very good result for the Blues).

The BBC reports that legal papers "are expected to be served on Mourinho this week as part of separate, but connected, claims against him and against the club."

This case has been rumbling since the opening day of the season. Mourinho was cleared of using discriminatory language towards Carneiro following an investigation by the Football Association, though they didn't actually bother to speak to Eva before reaching their judgement.

We can't say what the truth of that case is. What is certain is that large numbers of fans have used discriminatory language towards her from the stands, though nothing of any substance was done about that.

Mourinho will need to appear in employment court regarding the dismissal charges unless he settles out of court. Either option could prove financially costly for the Portuguese, though given the potential windfall he's got coming it might not be so bad. It'll just mean a few less Christmas Day cocktails on the beach, perhaps.