CANADIAN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL COACH SENT HOME FROM OLYMPICS OVER DRONE INCIDENT

Thu 25 July 2024:

Canadian women’s football coach Bev Priestman has stepped back from opening match duties at the Paris Olympics following a spying scandal, which also led to the expulsion of an assistant coach and a team analyst.

FIFA Initiates Disciplinary Proceedings

FIFA announced on Wednesday that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings after New Zealand’s women’s team reported that a training session was disrupted by a drone flown by a Canadian team staff member. Canada and New Zealand are set to face off in the opening match of Group A on Thursday.

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) confirmed the removal of two staff members from the team’s Olympic squad, both of whom were gold medallists at the Tokyo Games. “Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately,” stated the COC. “Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach to whom Mr. Lombardi reports, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately.”

Lombardi, 43, received a suspended eight-month prison sentence for flying the drone over the New Zealand training session on Monday in Saint-Etienne.

Apology and Withdrawal

In a statement, head coach Priestman expressed her decision to “voluntarily withdraw” from the match against New Zealand. “On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for,” said Priestman.

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New Zealand’s Response

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) reported the incident to the police and the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games. “At this time the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign,” the NZOC added.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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