Canada Women’s Soccer Team Stripped of Coach Amid Drone Scandal
The Canada women’s soccer team has been dealt a significant blow as head coach Bev Priestman has been suspended and sent home from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to a drone spying scandal. The news comes after a Canada Soccer staffer was caught flying a drone over New Zealand’s training session earlier this week.
According to reports, the staffer, Joseph Lombardi, was detained by French police and charged with flying an unmanned aircraft over a prohibited area. Lombardi accepted an eight-month suspended sentence and was removed from the Canadian delegation and sent home as punishment.
The incident has sparked a wider investigation into the team’s use of drones and spying tactics. Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue released a statement saying that the team had relied on drones and spying for years, including during their gold medal run in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Priestman, who self-imposed a one-game suspension, has been suspended for the remainder of the Olympics and until the completion of an independent external review. Assistant coach Andy Spence will take over as interim coach for the rest of the tournament.
The scandal has left the Canadian team reeling, with Priestman saying in a statement that she is “ultimately responsible for the conduct in our program.” The team will now have to regroup and refocus without their head coach, with their next game against France scheduled for Sunday.
Canada won the gold medal in Tokyo with a win over Sweden in the final, but this latest controversy has cast a shadow over their Olympic campaign. The United States women’s national team finished in third place after beating Australia in the bronze medal game.
The incident has raised questions about the use of drones and spying tactics in sports, and the impact it can have on the integrity of the game. As the investigation continues, the Canadian team will have to navigate this difficult situation and find a way to move forward without their head coach.