We already have an Olympic scandal: Canada women’s soccer members sent home for spying on opponents with drone

The assistant head coach and an analyst for the Canada women’s soccer team have been kicked off the roster after a spying scandal erupted at the Paris Olympics. Head coach Bev Priestman will also miss her side’s opening game against New Zealand on Thursday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) confirmed, after her staff were caught hovering a drone above their opponents’ training session.

On Monday, a little over 72 hours before their matchup with the Canucks, the drone was spotted above the New Zealand squad’s base in Saint Etienne. The incident was subsequently reported to police, who uncovered the the operator of the spy craft as a member of the Canadian support staff. An investigation by the COC uncovered a further drone incident three days earlier, leading to them removing two staff members from their setup. Canada Soccer staff are also due to undergo mandatory ethics training.

“Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately,” said a COC statement. “Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach to whom Mr. Lombardi reports, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately.”

Priestman, who coached Canada to gold medals in Tokyo three years ago, will also play no part in the Group A opener at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for,” Priestman said. “I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.

“Accordingly, to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”

Canada remain heavy favorites to take the win against the Football Ferns, who have won just two of their 13 Olympic matches and were eliminated at the group stage of last year’s World Cup, for which they were co-hosts. Per multiple reports, Andy Spence will lead Canada from the sidelines in their opener.

A statement from the New Zealand Olympic Committee on Tuesday said they had “formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and asked Canada for a full review. Team Canada has issued an apology and is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024. At this time the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign.”

FIFA will also be investigating the incident, the organization said in a statement. 

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against Canada Soccer, Ms Beverly Priestman, Mr. Joseph Lombardi and Ms Jasmine Mander due to the potential breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and article 6.1 of the Regulations Olympic Football Tournaments Games of the XXXIII Olympiad Paris 2024 — final competition, following incidents involving a non-accredited member of the Canadian delegation at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, who is believed to have used a drone to record the New Zealand women’s football team.

“The matter will be submitted for the consideration of the Disciplinary Committee in the next days.”

Hosts France and Colombia make up the remainder of Group A, where subsequent fixtures will be played on July 28 and 31.

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