Canada Soccer | Drones at the Olympics, the “symptom of an unacceptable past culture”

The investigation into the use of drones by the Canadian women’s Soccer team in Paris has been completed. The observation? This practice was a “symptom of an unacceptable past culture” within Canada Soccer, the federation says.

She now wants to take the time to examine the report and its conclusions “in detail”, but wishes to act “decisively”, within a week. This means that head coach Bev Priestman, currently suspended, is still employed by Canada Soccer.

“Our initial observations of the findings of the independent investigation reveal that the drone incident in Paris is a symptom of an unacceptable past culture and a lack of oversight within national teams,” said Kevin Blue, CEO and Secretary. general of the federation. While we take the time necessary to consider how best to approach the findings, we also want to act decisively. To this end, we will publish the main findings and next steps within a week. »

“We are committed to renewing our organization and making Canada Soccer a federation that everyone can be proud of,” adds Peter Augruso, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Canada Soccer. We know that there is still much to do and that change takes time. We thank our partners, families and supporters for their support and patience, and we look forward to sharing our next steps soon. »

The drone scandal broke just before the women’s team’s first match against New Zealand on July 25 in Saint-Étienne, a match they won 2-1. An unaccredited analyst, Joseph Lombardi, and an assistant coach used a drone to spy on the practices of their first opponents.

Bev Priestman withdrew from the first match, and was subsequently suspended for 12 months by the Canadian federation. Lombardi, found guilty of flying a drone in an area that prohibited it, was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence in France. Canada Soccer was subsequently fined $312,000.

The team had been deducted six points in the standings, but managed to advance to the quarter-finals by winning all their group matches.

Reports from various media subsequently demonstrated that the use of drones to spy on opponents’ training was not an unknown practice within Canadian soccer. John Herdman, the former coach of the men’s team, is said to have been the instigator while he was at the helm of the women’s team between 2011 and 2018. He is now head coach of Toronto FC.