FIFA strips Canada of six points in Olympic football and bans coach Bev Priestman for one year over drone spying scandal

FIFA hit out at the Canadian Soccer Association on Saturday over a drone spying scandal, deducting six points from Canada’s women’s soccer team for the Paris Games and banning three of the association’s employees, including head coach Bev Priestman, for a year each.

The penalties include a $313,000 fine for the national association in a case that escalated over the past week when two employees were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand teams training before the teams played their opening match last Thursday, which Canada won 2-1.

Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) President David Shoemaker issued a statement indicating that the point deduction would be appealed.

“To support athletes, we are working with Canada Soccer to review appeal rights related to the six-point deduction at this Olympic tournament.”

Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue issued his own statement in support of the players and confirmed his intention to appeal.

“We are exploring the possibility of appealing as this is an excessive punishment for our women’s national team, which has not engaged in any unethical conduct,” Blue said.

“Canada Soccer has taken immediate action and suspended the employees involved. It is also conducting a comprehensive independent investigation, which may result in further disciplinary action.”

Canada Soccer was blamed for its personnel not adhering to tournament rules. Priestman, who led Canada to the 2021 Olympic title in Tokyo, has already been suspended by the national federation and subsequently banned from the Olympic tournament.

“It’s obvious that very unfortunate and difficult things have happened,” said acting head coach Andy Spence, who spoke about half an hour before the announcement.

“I think this is an opportunity for us to say that this is not consistent with my personal beliefs, with the beliefs of Canada Soccer, with the values ​​that we believe in and that the team believes in, and that I had no part in this.

“I think now I have to put all my energy and focus into pushing the team forward and helping them move forward.”

The employees and Canada Soccer may appeal their sanctions before the Special Olympics Tribunal of the International Arbitration for Sport in Paris, which is set up to handle urgent hearings and rulings during the Olympic Games.

WATCH HERE | According to the Canadian Olympic Committee, Priestman was likely aware of the spying:

Football coach Bev Priestman was likely aware of the spying, says Canadian Olympic Committee

David Shoemaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, says the head coach of the national women’s soccer team likely knew drones were being used to spy on another team’s training sessions in France. Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of Canada Soccer, says there are suspicions that “this type of behavior” is “systematic.”

The point deduction, if confirmed by the CAS arbitrators, does not mean Canada is out of the tournament. It could mean the team must win all three games in Group A and hope to advance with three points, probably in second place.

“Devastating. Reckless and disgraceful of the staff to put these players in this position. I feel sorry for the #CanWNT,” former Canadian international Kara Lang wrote on X.

FIFA accelerated its own disciplinary proceedings by instructing its appeal judges to handle the case.

The FIFA judges found that Priestman and her two assistants were “each responsible for offensive conduct and violation of the principles of fair play”.

WATCH HERE | COC supports Priestman’s suspension from the Olympics:

COC coach Shoemaker says Canada Soccer’s decision to suspend Pristerman was the “right decision”

David Shoemaker, CEO and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee, discusses Canada Soccer’s decision to suspend women’s national team head coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Canada Soccer is being held responsible for violating FIFA’s current rules, the statement said. The club failed to ensure that officials participating in the tournament complied with the ban on drone flights over training grounds.

Canada will play its final group match on Wednesday against Colombia in Nice.

WATCH | Canada Soccer CEO speaks out on spying scandal:

Canada Soccer CEO speaks about espionage cases in women’s and men’s teams

Kevin Blue, CEO of Canada Soccer, spoke to media from Paris about cases in which both Canada’s women’s and men’s teams were involved in spying on closed training sessions in other countries using a drone.