Canada’s women’s soccer team has been hit with a six-point penalty by FIFA, severely impacting its chances of defending its Olympic gold medal.
Soccer’s governing body announced Saturday the disciplinary action stemming from a spying scandal that blew up after reports that a drone was used to record two closed practices conducted by New Zealand’s team.
Head coach Bev Priestman was also suspended from all soccer-related activity for a year, along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander and staffer Joseph Lombardi. All three had already been removed from the team and Priestman was already suspended by Canada Soccer.
Canada Soccer was also fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($313,000).
FIFA judges found Priestman and her two assistants “were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play.”
Priestman, who coached Canada to Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, and Canada Soccer can challenge their sanctions at the Court of Arbitration’s special Olympic court in Paris.
Canada opened its Olympic tournament with a 2-1 win over New Zealand, but those three points are nullified by the sanctions. Canada will have to take a maximum of nine points to have any hope of advancing out of the preliminary round.
“Devastating. Reckless and shameful for the staff to put these players in this position. Gutted for the #CanWNT,” former Canadian national team member Kara Lang wrote on X.
The Canadians next face host France on Sunday in Saint-Etienne.
WATCH | Priestman likely aware of spying, Canadian Olympic Committee says:
Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive officer David Shoemaker says the head coach of the national women’s soccer team was likely aware drones were used to spy on another team’s practices in France. Kevin Blue, the Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary, says there is suspicion ‘this type of behaviour’ is ‘systemic.’