Drone-spying scandal: FIFA strips Canada of 6 points in Olympic women's soccer, bans coaches 1 year

PARIS — FIFA docked six points from Canada in the Paris Olympics women’s soccer tournament and banned three coaches for one year each Saturday in a drone-spying scandal.

The stunning swath of punishments include a $226,000 fine for the Canadian soccer federation in a case that has spiraled at the Summer Games. Two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on opponent New Zealand’s practices before their opening game last Wednesday.

Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced late Saturday that they were looking into an appeal, specifically of the deducted points.

“We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian women’s Olympic soccer team, who, as far as we understand, played no role in this matter,” David Shoemaker, the Olympic committee’s CEO and secretary general, said in a statement. “In support of the athletes, together with Canada Soccer, we are exploring rights of appeal related to the six-point deduction at this Olympic tournament.”

Head coach Bev Priestman, who led Canada to the Olympic title in Tokyo in 2021, already was suspended by the national soccer federation then removed from the Olympic tournament. Canadian officials suspect the spying has been systemic over years.

Priestman and assistants Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander are banned from all soccer for one year.

FIFA judges said Priestman and her two assistants “were each found responsible for offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play.”

The case likely is heading for the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s special Olympic court in Paris. That tribunal is set up for urgent hearings and verdicts at the Olympics, such as the coaches and Canadian federation challenging their sanctions.

The points deduction, if upheld by the CAS judges, does not eliminate Canada from the tournament. It could mean the team must win all three games in Group A and hope to advance with three points to the quarterfinals that start next Saturday, even as the third-place team in the standings.

Canada plays group leader France on Sunday in Saint-Etienne, then faces Colombia on Thursday in Nice.

Docking a team so many points is almost unprecedented in the middle of an international tournament.

“We are exploring options to appeal on the basis that it is excessively punitive towards our women’s national team players, who were not involved in any unethical behavior,” said Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer’s CEO. “Canada Soccer took swift action to suspend the implicated staff members and is also proceeding with a broad independent review that may lead to further disciplinary action.”