World soccer’s governing body FIFA has deducted six points from Canada women’s national team at the Olympic Games in Paris and banned head coach Bev Priestman for a year as part of a spy drone controversy.
Part of the Canadian penalty also includes a fine of $226,000 as well as the suspensions of assistants Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander.
Priestman and her two staff members were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand ahead of Wednesday’s opening game at the Paris Olympics.
Priestman led Canada to the gold medal in Tokyo back in 2021, but had already been suspended by the national soccer federation and removed from the Games.
FIFA fast-tracked this disciplinary hearing via its appeals judges which has seen Lombardi and Mander also punished after the trio “were each found responsible for offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play.”
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As for the Canadian federation, they have been held responsible for not making sure that staff members complied with tournament rules although the individuals and federation can challenge the decisions.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has a special Olympic court in the French capital which is a tribunal created for pressing hearings and verdicts at these Olympics.
Priestman is English and was hired in 2020 as head coach and is under contract until the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The 38-year-old was not present for the opening win over New Zealand on Wednesday after the scandal had broken.
Canadian soccer officials have since admitted that the spying could have been an institutional issue over the past few years.
Andy Spence is now interim coach and oversaw the 2-1 opening victory although the points deduction — if not appealed and lessened — means that the Canadians must now win their other two Group A games.
Next up will be host nation France in Saint-Etienne on Sunday and then Colombia in Nice on Thursday with three points possibly enough for a runners-up spot.
