Names of Canadian staffers who used a drone to spy on NZ soccer team at the Olympics revealed

The Canadian women’s soccer team have sacked an assistant coach and another staff member after New Zealand complained to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that a drone was used to spy on their training session.

Head coach Bev Priestman also removed herself from coaching the team against New Zealand.

Staff from New Zealand’s team — the Football Ferns — noticed a drone flying above their training session in St Etienne on Monday.

Reporting it to police, the operator was identified as a supporting staff member of Canada’s team.

ABC Sport will be live blogging every day of the Paris Olympics from July 27

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) later confirmed that assistant coach Jasmine Mander and an analyst were kicked off the Games team following the incident.

Canada are the reigning Olympic champions and New Zealand’s first opponents at the Paris Games, on Friday morning (AEST).

“Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately,” the COC said in a statement.

“Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach to whom Mr Lombardi reports to, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately.”

Lombardi, who had been detained by police, was handed an eight-month suspended jail term and his material was confiscated, a French court said.

FIFA said they had opened proceedings against Canada Soccer, Priestman, Lombardi and Mander due to a potential breach of the body’s disciplinary code.