Canada’s women’s soccer team will now be without head coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris Olympics.
The Canadian soccer team announced Thursday that after its 2-1 win over New Zealand earlier in the day, Priestman has been suspended and sent home from the Olympics following the drone spying scandal. Assistant coach Andy Spence will serve as the team’s interim coach until the end of the Olympics.
Although a Canadian soccer team staff member was caught flying a drone over a New Zealand practice earlier this week in France, which sparked the scandal, the problem appears to have been ongoing for some time. According to TSNThe men’s and women’s national teams “have been using drones and espionage for years,” even allegedly using them to film opponents’ closed-door training sessions during the women’s team’s gold medal run at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, and the following summer as they attempted to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has been brought to our attention regarding the past use of drones against opponents, prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue said in a statement. “In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Team Head Coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review.”
Canadian national football team staff member Joseph Lombardi was arrested by French police earlier this week after he was caught flying a drone over New Zealand’s training sessions on multiple occasions ahead of their group stage match on Thursday. French police searched his hotel room and found drone footage of two closed-door training sessions, which he said “helped him learn the opposing team’s tactics.” Lombardi was charged with flying an unmanned aircraft over a prohibited area and accepted an eight-month suspended sentence.
The incident has sparked multiple investigations. Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander, who is Lombardi’s boss, were both kicked out of the Canadian team and sent home as punishment. Priestman has handed herself a one-game suspension and was not on the sidelines for Thursday’s win over New Zealand.
“I am ultimately responsible for the conduct of our program,” Priestman said in a statement earlier this week, while clarifying that she had no knowledge of the drone operation.
Now Priestman is on his way home earlier than expected.
Canada won the gold medal in Tokyo by beating Sweden in the final. The U.S. women’s national team finished third after beating Australia in the bronze medal game. Canada will face France next Sunday in group play.