Drone scandal grounds Canadian football coaches at Paris 2024 Olympics

The Canadian women’s football team has been rocked by scandal just days before their opening match at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Head coach Beverly Priestman will be absent from the dugout after allegations emerged of using a drone to spy on a rival team’s training session.

The incident occurred during the New Zealand women’s football team’s training in St Etienne, causing significant disruption to their tournament preparations. Two members of the Canadian coaching staff, Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, have been sent back to Canada by the Canadian Olympic Committee following accusations of their involvement in the drone operation, according to Reuters.

FIFA has launched disciplinary proceedings against Canada Soccer, Beverly Priestman, Joseph Lombardi, and Jasmine Mander. In response, the Canadian Olympic Committee has issued a formal apology and pledged a thorough review of the incident.

Beverly Priestman has publicly apologized, taking full responsibility for her staff’s actions and underscoring the importance of integrity and fair play in sports. “This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for the conduct in our program,” Priestman stated.

“To emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday.”

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) reported that on July 22, a drone was flown over their women’s football team’s training session, immediately prompting team support members to report the incident to the police. The drone operator, identified as a support staff member of the Canadian team, was subsequently detained.

The Canadian Olympic Committee expressed their shock and disappointment in a statement: “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee. The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed.”