FIFA has handed down tough sanctions against Canada after assistant coaches for the women’s soccer team were found to have used a drone to spy on New Zealand’s training ahead of Thursday’s opening match.
After New Zealand protested, organizers of the Olympic soccer tournament and World Cup games announced Saturday that they would strip Canada women’s soccer of six points and fine the Canadian Football Association $226,000. FIFA also announced it would ban assistant coaches Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, and head coach Beverley Priestman, from participating in any soccer-related activities for one year. The reports did not say what type of drone the assistant coaches used.
Meanwhile, Canadian Olympic Committee president David Shoemaker said Canada is “considering its options to appeal this decision.” Shoemaker specifically addressed the six-point fine, saying it was “disproportionately punitive to the women’s national team athletes, who did not engage in unethical conduct.”
Priestman denied knowing about the existence of spy drones, but said “regardless of the details, the ultimate responsibility rests with me,” according to the Associated Press. Priestman was the manager of Canada’s women’s soccer team when it won its first gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
