Canada women’s football coach Bev Priestman suspended amid drone scandal

PARIS – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) removed coach Bev Priestman on July 25, following her suspension by Canada Soccer over a drone-spying scandal that has thrust the 2020 Olympic gold medallists into an unsavoury global spotlight.

The squad will be led by assistant coach Andy Spence for the remainder of the Paris Games, the COC said.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Canada Soccer chief executive and general secretary Kevin Blue said in a statement.

“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.”

Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their Paris Olympics opening Group A game on July 25, a match which Priestman voluntarily sat out after the spying scandal broke earlier this week.

A drone flown by a Canada Soccer staff member, Joey Lombardi, disrupted a New Zealand training session on July 22, just days before their match.

Lombardi, an analyst, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander were sent home from the Games on July 24. The former was also given a suspended eight-month prison sentence for flying the drone.

Priestman, who is believed to be likely aware of the drone use, apologised to the New Zealand players for what had happened and said ultimate responsibility lay with her.

“This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our programme,” she said.

Canada defender Vanessa Gilles insisted that her team were “not cheats” despite the spying scandal.

“There was a lot of emotion, frustration and humiliation because as a player, it doesn’t reflect our values and what we want to represent as competitors at the Olympics,” she said.

“The Games represent fair play. As Canadians, these are not our values or those of our country. We are not cheats. It was very hard but we knew how to be united.”

Global football’s governing body Fifa has launched disciplinary proceedings against Canada Soccer, Priestman, and the two staff members who were booted this week over the scandal.

Canada Soccer said on July 24 it would launch an independent external review about the drone incident and the historical culture of competitive ethics within all of its programmes.

The Canadian women next face hosts France, who opened their campaign with a 3-2 win over Colombia, on July 28 in Saint-Etienne.

New Zealand coach Michael Mayne, meanwhile, refused to blame the spying incident on his side’s loss. “I don’t want to make excuses for this result,” he said.

“Yes, maybe it influenced part of the game. But we wanted to play and we did our best.”

In other matches on July 25, reigning Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati scored one goal and helped create another as World Cup holders Spain beat Japan 2-1 in their opener, while record four-time gold medallists the United States beat Zambia 3-0.

Spain are making their Olympic women’s football debut at the Paris Games but are leading contenders to win gold after their World Cup triumph in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

They fell behind against Japan in Group C in Nantes to Aoba Fujino’s superb early free kick, but Bonmati soon equalised as she rounded the goalkeeper to score midway through the first half.

The Spaniards then grabbed the winner in the 74th minute when Mariona Caldentey exchanged passes with Bonmati before firing home.

In the same section, two-time silver medallists Brazil beat Nigeria 1-0 in Bordeaux.

In Group B, the same pool as the Americans, 2016 winners Germany outclassed Australia 3-0 in Marseille. Marina Hegering and Lea Schuller both scored from headers before Jule Brand wrapped up the victory. REUTERS, AFP