FIFA has announced a six-point deduction from the Canadian women's soccer team's standings in the Paris Olympics after staff members were found to have used drones to spy on New Zealand during closed-door training sessions.
The Canadian women's soccer team has been dealt a major blow as FIFA announced a six-point deduction from their standings in the Paris Olympics. This severe penalty stems from an investigation that found Canadian staff members had violated Olympic regulations by using drones to spy on New Zealand's closed-door training sessions.
Following its probe, the FIFA Appeal Committee ruled that the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) had failed to ensure its staff complied with Olympic rules. The statement released by FIFA stated that the CSA was responsible for "failing to respect the applicable FIFA regulations in connection with its failure to ensure the compliance of its participating officials of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad Paris 2024 Final Competition (OFT) with the prohibition on flying drones over any training sites."
Canada Women's Soccer Hit with Six-Point Penalty for Drone Spying Incident
The FIFA statement also held the involved officials accountable for "offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s Women’s representative team’s drones usage in the scope of the OFT."
In light of these findings, head coach Bev Priestman was removed from her position last Thursday night. Additionally, two staff members, Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, were sent home from Paris after an investigation concluded that Lombardi had allegedly utilized a drone to spy on New Zealand's practice sessions.
Canada Women's Soccer Hit with Six-Point Penalty for Drone Spying Incident
This revelation has cast a shadow over Canada's pursuit of a title defense in the Olympics, where they won gold in Tokyo. The women's team had already secured a victory against New Zealand before Priestman's dismissal.
FIFA's sanctions against Canada extend beyond the six-point deduction, with Priestman, Lombardi, and Mander all banned from any football-related activities for a period of one year. Moreover, Canada Soccer has been fined $226,000.
Canada Women's Soccer Hit with Six-Point Penalty for Drone Spying Incident
The CSA has the option to appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If the CAS upholds the points deduction, it will not eliminate Canada from the tournament but could require them to win all three games in Group A to advance with just three points, potentially as a second-place finisher.
Canada's next match in the Olympics is scheduled against France on Sunday.
This incident has sparked a controversy over the ethics of scouting and the use of technology in sports. It remains to be seen whether Canada Soccer will appeal FIFA's decision and if so, whether the team can overcome this setback and retain its Olympic title.
