FIFA strips Canada of 6 points in Olympic women’s soccer, bans coaches 1 year

The severe sanctions include a 200,000 Swiss francs ($226,000) fine for the Canadian Soccer Federation after it was discovered that two assistant coaches used drones to spy on New Zealand’s practice sessions before their opening game last Wednesday.

Head coach Bev Priestman, who led Canada to Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021, and her assistants Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, have been banned from all soccer activities for one year. Priestman was initially suspended by the national federation and removed from the Olympic tournament.

FIFA expedited its disciplinary process, involving its appeals judges to handle the case. The organization found the coaches guilty of "offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play." The Canadian federation was held accountable for failing to ensure compliance with tournament rules by its staff.

The coaches and the Canadian federation have the option to appeal the sanctions at the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) special Olympic court in Paris, designed for urgent hearings and verdicts during the Olympics.

The 38-year-old Priestman, originally from England, has been coaching the Canadian team since 2020 and is under contract through the 2027 Women’s World Cup. She stepped aside from the team's Olympic opener against New Zealand after the scandal broke, with interim coach Andy Spence leading the team to a 2-1 victory.

Canadian officials suspect the spying practices may have been ongoing for years. The points deduction, if upheld by CAS, does not eliminate Canada from the tournament but requires them to win all three remaining games in Group A to advance. Canada faces group leader France on Sunday in Saint-Etienne and Colombia on Thursday in Nice.

SportsLigue