Canada womens soccer coach issues apology as Sports Canada docks pay

In the aftermath of the surveillance scandal surrounding the Canadian Women’s Olympic Soccer team, the federal government is suspending the pay of the suspended Canadian coaches. In a release, Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity of Canada writes, “using a drone to surveil another team during a closed practice is cheating. It is completely unfair to Canadian players and to opposing teams. It undermines the integrity of the game itself. The Government of Canada is aware of the decision made by the FIFA Appeal Committee. Given that the Women’s Program receives funding from Sport Canada, we are withholding funding relating to suspended Canada Soccer officials for the duration of their FIFA sanction.”

The release went on to promise an investigation, of not only the women’s team but of the men’s as well amid rumours that the men’s team may have engaged in drone surveillance  in the past. The statement continued, “there is a deeply concerning pattern of behaviour at Canada Soccer. We must, and will, get to the bottom of this.”

Canadian women’s soccer coach, Beverly Priestman and two assistants were suspended by FIFA for a year when an analyst was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand team practices before the start of Olympic competition.

The big hit to the women’s team came with the imposition of a six-point penalty — the equivalent of two wins in the Olympic tournament — for the defending champion Canadians in Paris and a fine of around $313,000 levied against Canada Soccer.

For her part, Priestman issued an apology reading in part, “I am absolutely heartbroken for the players and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them…as the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the investigation.” She added an apology to Canada, “you have been my home and a country I have fallen in live with.”