Canada Soccer Faces Scandal Over Drone Use

Canada national team officials used drones for scouting, raising concerns about the integrity of their Tokyo 2020 women’s gold medal ahead of the Paris Olympics. The issue surfaced when Canada Soccer removed Bev Priestman as head coach for the women’s team. This action followed a drone incident that occurred over New Zealand’s training session. Officials believe Priestman, 38, was aware of the incident leading to her suspension.

Reports indicate that both the men’s and women’s teams have used drones for years, despite pushback against this claim. Canada Soccer chief executive Kevin Blue confirmed receiving anecdotal feedback about drone use during the men’s Copa America semi-finals. He noted that this information had surfaced during the tournament. Coach Jesse Marsch only became aware of the incident after it occurred and subsequently denounced the practice.

Blue acknowledged a potential systemic ethical shortcoming within the organization. David Shoemaker, chief executive of the Canadian Olympic Committee expressed concerns that this issue might tarnish Canada’s women’s football triumph at the Tokyo Games, calling the situation “sickening.” Meanwhile, former Canada manager John Herdman confidently stated that such practices did not occur under his leadership.

He pledged to cooperate fully with Canada Soccer’s internal review. Additionally, Christine Sinclair, former Canada striker and the world’s all-time leading international goalscorer emphasized that players were never shown drone footage. She highlighted that players had no control over staff actions. Priestman, who previously served as an assistant coach for England’s women’s team, assumed the role of Canada’s head coach in October 2020.

She withdrew from Canada’s 2-1 victory over New Zealand and her assistant, Jasmine Mander, along with analyst Joseph Lombardi, left the team. Priestman took responsibility for her colleagues’ actions after Lombardi submitted a scouting report to Mander. Authorities sentenced Lombardi to an eight-month suspended jail sentence for flying a drone without a license.

Finally, Blue hopes Fifa, football’s governing body will not impose sanctions on the national team players. He emphasizes their lack of involvement in unethical behavior and their commitment to fair play.