Canada’s women’s Olympic soccer team is in turmoil after officials were “shocked and disappointed” to learn drones were being used to spy on their opponents. As part of the collateral damage, two staff members from the women’s team have been “sent home immediately” and their head coach will be absent when Canada takes on New Zealand in their opening Olympic match on Thursday.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said Wednesday that an “unaccredited member of the Canadian soccer support team” was arrested by the French authorities in Saint-Étienne, a city 250 miles south of Paris, for improperly using a drone. The arrest follows a separate incident in which a drone was used to record New Zealand training sessions.
Head coach Bev Priestman, who led the Canadian team to gold in Tokyo three years ago, denied any involvement in the plan but said she would voluntarily “step aside” for the first match.
“Regardless of the details, I am ultimately responsible for this team,” Priestman said Wednesday afternoon after a team practice. “I have absolutely not directed the individuals… I am still learning the details and this is all still a work in progress. But again, I think the most important thing now is to look forward, set the actions and take the sanctions.”
The COC said the football team’s staff had been “transparent and cooperative throughout the process”. Assistant coach Andy Spence will be in charge of the reigning champions when they take on New Zealand.
The dramatic change came after the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported to the IOC that suspicious drones had flown over the team’s training sessions on two occasions.
“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the teams were due to meet in their opening match of Paris 2024,” the sporting body said in a statement.
Following the allegations, the COC investigated and subsequently removed assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi from the team’s staff, saying they were “immediately sent home.”
Lombardi admitted using the drone to film New Zealand players carrying out instructions from their coach. Mander was also interviewed by officials but denied any involvement in the filming and was cleared of wrongdoing.
According to the COC, football employees are required to undergo training on ethics.
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“Fair play is the highest principle of sport. The actions of those involved do not reflect the values of Canada or the values of sport,” Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s minister of sport and physical activity, wrote in a social media post. “I support the sanctions imposed by the Canadian Olympic Committee, their apology to New Zealand, and the decision of head coach Bev Priestman … These decisive actions will help ensure that individuals are held accountable and preserve the integrity of the game and fair play for all athletes.”
The scandal has dampened the mood in Canada, which is seeking to defend its Olympic title.
“It’s not ideal, of course, especially with such a big tournament coming up,” Canadian centre-back Vanessa Gilles told reporters. “But at the end of the day, we’re all professionals. We’re all going to make the most of the situation we’re put in. We’re going to lean on each other.”