Canada Women's Soccer Coach Fired Over Olympic Drone Spying Scandal

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Above: Bev Priestman during Quarterfinals - 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup between Canada and Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Image copyright: Omar Vega/Contributor/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Canada Soccer terminated its women's head coach Bev Priestman and two staff members following an independent investigation that confirmed their reported involvement in using drones to spy on opponents, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

  • The scandal emerged when New Zealand defender Rebekah Stott spotted a drone during training in Saint-Etienne, France, prompting FIFA to fine Canada Soccer $228K.

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The Spin

Narrative A

Using a drone to surveil another team during a closed practice is cheating and undermines the integrity of the game. The drone incident represents a past pattern of unacceptable culture and insufficient oversight that requires urgent reform within the national teams, necessitating immediate leadership changes to restore integrity to the program.

The Globe and Mail

Narrative B

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.

CBC