July 27, 2024, 7:30 PM
July 27, 2024, 7:30 PM
Canada’s women’s soccer team was docked six points at the Olympics and coach Bev Priestman was suspended for a year after a drone was used to spy on a rival team’s training sessions.
FIFA announced the sanctions on Saturday, which include a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (about US$226,000) for the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), a day after the English Priestman fired as Canada’s head coach at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
CSA officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander were also suspended by the FIFA for a year.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, said Team Canada’s use of the drone was a “violation” of its principles.
“The officials were found responsible for offensive behaviour and breaching the principles of fair play in relation to the use of drones by the CSA women’s representative team in the context of the Olympic football tournament,” FIFA said in a statement.
Priestman “voluntarily” stepped down from her coaching duties for Canada’s opening game against New Zealand after the Oceanic country’s Olympic Committee said A drone had flown over their training session on Monday.
FIFA and the CSA have launched investigations, with the latter saying it was “highly likely” the 38-year-old coach was aware of the incident.
The CSA can appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and in a statement responding to the sanctions, its chief executive Kevin Blue and Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said an appeal was being considered.
“We are exploring options to appeal on the basis that it is excessively punitive towards the players of our women’s national team, who were not involved in any unethical behavior,” Blue said.
“The CSA has taken swift action to suspend the staff members involved and is also proceeding with a broad independent review which may lead to further disciplinary action,” it added.
Shoemaker said: “We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian women’s Olympic soccer team who, to our knowledge, played no role in this matter.”
In a statement Wednesday, Priestman said he took responsibility for the actions of his colleagues after a scouting report submitted by Lombardi was sent to Mander.
On Thursday, a French court said Lombardi had been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to flying a drone in an urban area without a license.
The next day, Shoemaker said there “appears to be information that could taint” Canada’s victory in women’s soccer at the Tokyo Games.
This followed reports in Canadian media that drones had been used in previous tournaments.
Assistant coach Andy Spence will take charge for the remainder of the Games, with the reigning Olympic champions’ next match against France on Sunday.
Canada beat New Zealand in their opening game to earn three points, but the FIFA ban leaves them at -3 in Group A, with games against the host nation and Colombia still to come.
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