Canada Women’s Football Team Penalised for Spying Incident at Paris Olympics.
Canada’s women’s football team has been hit with significant penalties after being found guilty of using a drone to spy on a rival team’s training sessions. FIFA announced the deduction of six points from Canada’s Olympic group standings, along with a one-year ban for head coach Bev Priestman. The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) has also been fined £175,720.
The sanctions come a day after English-born Priestman was removed from her role as Canada’s Olympic head coach. FIFA also suspended CSA officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander for a year, citing “offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play” due to the drone incident.
In a statement, FIFA said, “The officials were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s women’s representative team’s drone usage in the scope of the Olympic football tournament.”
Priestman had “voluntarily” stepped down from her coaching duties for Canada’s opening game against New Zealand after the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported that a drone had flown over their training session on Monday. Both FIFA and the CSA launched investigations into the matter, with the CSA suggesting that the 38-year-old coach was “highly likely” aware of the incident.
The CSA has the option to appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CSA chief executive Kevin Blue and Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker stated that an appeal is under consideration.
These developments mark a significant setback for the Canadian team as they navigate the challenges of the Olympic tournament amidst these sanctions.
