Canadian Olympic Committee removes women’s soccer team’s head coach over drone scandal

The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women’s national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” a statement from Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue read.

“In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Team Head Coach, Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review.”

This week, the New Zealand Olympic Committee lodged a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee after a drone filmed its women’s soccer team practising on July 22 in Saint-Étienne, France, a city 400 kilometres south of Paris.

Local police detained the alleged drone operator, Joseph Lombardi, described as an “unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer.” Lombardi received an eight-month suspended jail sentence and was sent home by Canada along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander, who was reportedly aware of the spying.

Reigning champions, the Canadian women’s soccer team had its first 2024 Olympic match against New Zealand on Thursday, which Canada won 2-1.

“Obviously the timing was quite terrible,” Canadian captain Jessie Fleming told reporters after the game. “But I think for us, we’ve just leaned into each other as a player group and we really just want to focus on being here and playing.”

Priestman had volunteered to sit out Thursday’s match. An English professional football manager, Priestman served as assistant coach for the Canadian women’s soccer team until replacing John Herdman as head coach in 2020. She led Canada to gold in Tokyo in 2021.

According to TSN sources, Canada’s men’s and women’s national soccer teams have both been engaged in efforts to film opponents’ closed-door training sessions for years.

The Canadian Olympic Committee has apologized to New Zealand and says Priestman will be replaced by assistant coach Andy Spence for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.