Canada Women's Soccer Coach Fired Over Olympic Drone Spying Scandal
Canada Women's Soccer Fires Coach Fired Over Olympic Drone Spying Scandal
The Facts
The scandal emerged when New Zealand defender Rebekah Stott spotted a drone during training in Saint-Etienne, leading to the arrest of Canadian analyst Joseph Lombardi and subsequent FIFA sanctions including a $226,000 fine.Canada Soccer terminated women's head coach Bev Priestman and two staff members following an independent investigation that confirmed their involvement in using drones to spy on opponents during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The investigation revealed a systematic pattern of surveillance predating the Paris Olympics, though no evidence was found of drone usage during Canada's gold-medal run at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.The scandal emerged when New Zealand defender Rebekah Stott spotted a drone during training in Saint-Etienne, prompting FIFA to fine Canada Soccer $228K.
The Spin
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Priestman's sacking is unfair, as the review found no evidence that Canadian players had viewed footage from the drone. The investigation's limited scope in examining past tournaments and administrators shows that Priestman has been made a scapegoat to cover up for a systematic, years-long spying operation that potentially compromised the integrity of Canada's previous achievements.
