The drone spying scandal surrounding the Canadian women's soccer team has taken a dramatic turn, with revelations of potential previous unethical recordings of opponents and implications for the team's gold medal performance in the Tokyo Olympics. Head coach Bev Priestman has been suspended while an independent review is conducted.
The drone scandal surrounding the Canadian women's soccer team has escalated, with revelations of potential previous unethical recordings of opponents and implications for the team's gold medal performance in the Tokyo Olympics.
Drone Scandal Implicates Canada Women's Soccer Team's Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo
Head coach Bev Priestman was removed from her position on Thursday night after two staff members were sent home from Paris after an investigation found that analyst Joseph Lombardi had used a drone to spy on New Zealand's practice sessions.
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue said in a statement that "additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."
Drone Scandal Implicates Canada Women's Soccer Team's Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo
In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has suspended Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and until the completion of an independent external review.
Priestman, who sat out of Thursday's match, was likely aware of the drone usage, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said during a press conference. He also hinted that there could be trouble with Canada's gold medal performance in Tokyo because of it.
Drone Scandal Implicates Canada Women's Soccer Team's Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo
"We've gathered some additional information ourselves that made me conclude that she was highly likely to have been aware of the incidents here in Saint-Etienne," Shoemaker told reporters.
"There now appears to be information that could tarnish that Olympic performance in Tokyo," he continued. "It makes me ill. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that there could be something that calls into question… one of my favorite Olympic moments in history, that women's team winning that gold medal against all odds in COVID restrictions."
Amid pending investigations from FIFA, the IOC, and Canada Soccer, officials have not outwardly expressed a pattern of spying but have pointed to multiple instances.
Blue said there was also an incident involving the men's national team at Copa América. He said it was his understanding it did not have an impact on the competitive integrity of the match but would not offer details.
He added that the players on the women's team were not involved in any unethical behavior themselves.
The scandal has cast a shadow over Canada's pursuit of a title defense in the Olympics. The women's team won gold in Tokyo and won their first match against New Zealand on Thursday – prior to Priestman's dismissal.
The Canadian Olympic Committee has launched its own investigation, led by former Court of Arbitration for Sport director general Jean-Loup Chappelet.
FIFA and the IOC are also investigating the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
