The Canada women’s football team have been deducted six points at the 2024 Summer Olympics and coach Bev Priestman has been banned for a year by Fifa after a drone was used to spy on a training session held by opening opponents New Zealand.
The Canada Soccer Association (CSA) will be fined £175,720 (around $226,000), while officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander have been suspended by the governing body for a year.
In a statement, Fifa said the trio were “responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play” relating to the drone incident.
JUST NOW
FIFA ruling just in on drone scandal. Canada deducted six points at Olympics. Fined CHF 200,000.
Priestman, Lombardi and Mander suspended from any football related activity for a year.
Full FIFA STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/tqSLVVTANy
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) July 27, 2024
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Bev Priestman: Canada manager banned
Priestman was removed from her role at Paris 2024 on Friday and suspended after Canada Soccer said it had received “additional information” following the use of a drone over New Zealand’s training session on Monday.
The English-born manager voluntarily withdrew from Canada’s opening 2-0 win over the Kiwis on Thursday, with assistant Mander sent home along with “unaccredited analyst” Lombardi.
An independent external review has been launched by the CSA against Priestman, who led Canada to glory at the 2020 Olympics, which were held in 2021.
Priestman did not play professional football, making her name as a coach from 2013, when she began as Canada’s Under-17 coach.
She returned to England to take charge of the country’s Under-17 team and served as Phil Neville’s assistant with the senior side between 2018 and 2020.
3 points secured ✅
We begin our Olympics on a winning note!#CANWNT #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/lvmP0EB0CH
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) July 25, 2024
Having installed Priestman in 2021, Canada beat Sweden on penalties to win Olympic gold and reached the Concacaf final a year later, losing to the USA.
The Canucks failed to advance from the group stage at the 2023 World Cup under Priestman, who is married to former New Zealand midfielder Emma Humphries.
Canada Olympics: Football boss ‘responsible’
“I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada,” Priestman said after the drone incident this week.
“This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.”
Assistant coach Andy Spence will oversee Canada’s match against France on Sunday and the rest of their campaign.
Canada are now on minus three points. The CSA can appeal against the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
