Canadian women’s soccer coach suspended over drone scandal

Canada’s women’s soccer coach Bev Prisman has been suspended and removed from the team for the Paris Olympics. Drone spying scandal The head of Canada Soccer said on Friday he was investigating a possible “systemic ethical flaw.”

Kevin Blue, CEO and Secretary General of Canada Soccer, stressed that the players Paris GamesThe team is currently training in Saint-Etienne.

“Right now, we’re trying to address what appears to be a systemic ethical flaw head-on, in a way that is unfortunately painful at the moment, but is proving to be a necessary part of the rehabilitation process,” Blue said.

Priestman’s future with Defending champion Canada “depends on the outcome of our full review of this matter,” Blue said.

“Now that we have more information through this review, it provides an additional opportunity to see what steps, if any, still need to be taken,” Blue said.

Earlier, David Shoemaker, executive director of the Canadian Olympic Committee, told reporters in Paris that Priestman probably knew that drones were being used to spy on New Zealand’s activities. Priestman has denied the allegations.

Blue also said he had learned of a possible drone incident involving the men’s national team at the recent Copa America. He said he believed it would not impact the integrity of the competition, but declined to provide details.

When asked whether men’s coaches Jesse March Although Marsch knew about the possible use of drones at the tournament, which concluded in the United States earlier this month, Blue said Marsch learned about it after the fact and “denounced it as a practice to his staff.” Canada reached the semifinals of the Copa, but lost 2-0 to Argentina.

Canada’s camp was in turmoil Earlier this week, after two team members were sent home for allegedly using a drone to spy on a training session in New Zealand.

Priestman stepped down for the team’s opening Olympic game – a 2-1 win over New Zealand – and interim coach Andy Spence took charge of the team.

A few hours after the match, the COC announced that Priestman had been suspended for the remainder of the tournament and that Canada Soccer was launching an independent investigation.

The world football association FIFA and the International Olympic Committee also conducted investigations.

Blue said that after the opening, he was made aware of new information related to the drone scandal that led to Priestman’s suspension.

“They gave me cause to consider further the possibility that this behavior was systemic,” Blue said. “And while we will of course reserve judgment until we complete our review, the specific information I received yesterday at least made me consider the possibility that this matter is more extensive.”

Representatives of the association met with the players on Friday morning. Canada will next play against host France on Sunday, also in Saint-Etienne.

Christine SinclairCaptain of the Canadian team that won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics wrote on social media that it was “unfortunate that the players of our national team had to endure reprehensible actions by some of their staff while trying to defend our gold medal. Actions over which the players have no control.”

“I would like to make it clear that, despite being a national player for 23 years, we were never shown or discussed drone footage in any team or individual meetings I attended,” she wrote.

John Herdman, a former coach of the men’s and women’s national teams and now coach of Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, said he would assist Canada Soccer in any way possible with the review.

“But I am absolutely certain that during my time as head coach at an Olympic Games or a World Championship, we have never been involved in such activities,” Herdman told reporters in Toronto.

The COC announced earlier this week that assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi had been sent home because of their involvement in drone surveillance.

Prisman made a brief media appearance on Wednesday after leading her team through an hour-long training session.

“My reaction was that you feel like this program has let the country down,” Priestman, 38, said before voluntarily withdrawing from the first game. “So I took the proactive step to do what I thought was the right thing. Regardless of the details, I ultimately bear responsibility.”

Priestman is under contract until the 2027 Women’s World Cup. She took over in 2020 and led the team to a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics. But Canada was eliminated in the group stage at last year’s Women’s World Cup. She has led the team to 28 wins, nine losses and ten draws.

Blue did not provide a timeline for completion of the investigation.

“I am confident that with the decision we made last night after today’s press conference, we can move forward and put the focus on the players in competition for the remainder of the Olympic Games, so that the players have the opportunity to really focus on competing during the Olympic Games,” he said.

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