Canadian Football Coach Apologises For Olympic Drone Scandal

July 29, (THEWILL) – Bev Priestman, the suspended Canadian women’s football coach, issued a public apology on Sunday, for the drone surveillance scandal that led to her removal from the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 38-year-old coach expressed deep regret for the impact on her players and the nation, accepting accountability as the team leader and promising full cooperation with the investigation.

The incident resulted in FIFA imposing a one-year ban on Priestman and two other team officials from all football-related activities. Additionally, the Canadian team was docked six points in their Olympic group stage, severely hampering their chances of repeating their gold medal success from the previous Games.

Sport Canada responded to the scandal by withholding funding allocated for the salaries of the suspended officials. Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough condemned the use of drones for spying on closed practice sessions, stating it undermined the integrity of the game and was unfair to both Canadian players and opposing teams.

Canada Soccer is now exploring options to appeal the six-point penalty, which left the team with negative three points in Group A with two matches remaining. Former players have voiced their support for the current squad, emphasising that the players do not deserve to be in this situation.

The scandal has cast a shadow over Canada’s Olympic campaign and raised questions about fair play in international football.

Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.