Canadian soccer coach Priestman to miss Olympic opener after ...
Canadian women's soccer coach Bev Priestman removed herself from Thursday's Olympic Games opener against New Zealand and two team staff members were sent home after two drone incidents.
Gregory Strong · The Canadian Press
· Posted: Jul 24, 2024 7:07 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
When head coach Bev Priestman first learned of a Canada Soccer drone scandal at the Paris Games, she felt the program had let the country down.
That's why it was important to her to take the "proactive step" of removing herself from the sidelines for Canada's opening game against New Zealand on Thursday. Her voluntary decision was announced Wednesday in a Canadian Olympic Committee statement that also confirmed assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi had been "sent home immediately."
"Irrespective of the details, I'm ultimately accountable for this team," Priestman said after her squad's one-hour practice.
The developments came after the COC said it completed a review of a drone incident in Saint-Etienne, France on Monday and learned of a second incident at a New Zealand practice last Friday. It's believed the drone was used to record the team's training sessions, the COC said.
The COC also said Canada Soccer staff will be required to undergo mandatory ethics training. The committee added it has been in contact with the IOC and FIFA and further action may be taken if necessary.
"On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada," Priestman said in a statement. "This does not represent the values that our team stands for."
Both Mander and Lombardi were included on the team's six-member coaching staff list at the Games. Lombardi, who the COC called an unaccredited analyst, reports to Mander.
"By no means did I direct the individuals," Priestman said. "I'm still learning the details and obviously this is all unfolding. But again, I think the important thing right now is to look forward, put the actions in place and take the sanctions."
WATCH | Priestman: 'It was important to me … to show strong leadership':
Assistant coach Andy Spence will be in charge on the Canadian sidelines in the Group A opener.
The match begins at 11 a.m. ET and will be carried live on CBC TV, including live stream coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Analysis of the images captured by Lombardi showed New Zealand players applying instructions given by their coach, but also images captured on July 20, when they were training at the Michon stadium in Saint-Etienne.
He admitted to the acts committed on July 20, which had initially been kept under wraps, while Mander was also interviewed but said she had nothing to do with the acts committed and was therefore exonerated.
Eighth-ranked Canada is the defending Olympic champion after capturing gold three years ago in Tokyo. New Zealand is ranked 28th in the world.
"Obviously it's not ideal, especially with such a big tournament on the horizon," said Canadian centre back Vanessa Gilles. "But at the end of the day we're all professionals.
"We're all going to make the most out of the situation we're put in. We're going to lean on each other."
New Zealand's Olympic Committee alerted police after a drone was flown over the women's soccer team practice Monday, and the COC confirmed Tuesday that a "non-accredited" member of Canada's soccer team staff was detained by French authorities.
It wasn't clear if the sanctioned staff member had been released. A message left with a Canada Soccer media attache was not immediately returned.
WATCH | Canada looks to reach 4th straight Olympic podium in Paris:
The NZOC also registered a complaint with the International Olympic Committee's integrity unit and had asked Canada for a full review.
The COC apologized to the NZOC and that country's soccer federation, stating it was "shocked and disappointed" over the conduct.
Carla Qualtrough, Canada's Minister of Sport who is in France for the start of the Games, said she supports Priestman's decision to sit out the opener.
"When rules are broken, there must be consequences," Qualtrough said. "I support the sanctions being imposed by the Canadian Olympic Committee, their apologies to New Zealand, and the decision of head coach Bev Priestman."
It's not the first time a Canadian soccer team has been involved in a drone controversy involving an international rival's training session.
In 2021 at Toronto, Honduras stopped a training session ahead of its men's World Cup qualifier against Canada after spotting a drone above the field, according to reports in Honduran media. The teams played to a 1-1 draw.
French security forces guarding Paris 2024 sites are intercepting an average of six drones per day, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Tuesday.
Attal added the drones are often operated by "individuals, maybe tourists wanting to take pictures."
"That's why it's important to remind people of the rules. There's a ban on flying drones," he said, according to multiple news outlets.
"Systems are in place to allow us to very quickly intercept [drones] and arrest their operators."
With files from CBC Sports
