Canada's women's soccer coach, Bev Priestman, along with several others, has received a one-year suspension from FIFA due to involvement in a drone surveillance scandal related to the Paris Olympics. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
Canada Soccer is closely examining a review of the recent drone-spying scandal during the Paris Olympics, signalling that it has received the independent report. Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of Canada Soccer, provided insight into the report’s initial findings on Friday. He highlighted that the drone incident pointed to a troubling pattern in the organization’s past, marked by inadequate oversight and an unhealthy culture.
“We’re carefully evaluating how to respond to these findings, but we are committed to acting swiftly,” Blue stated, promising to reveal key points and plans within a week.
The issue dates back to July 31, when Canada Soccer appointed Sonia Regenbogen from Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark to conduct an independent review of the Olympic controversy and investigate related historical issues. The scandal emerged after the New Zealand Olympic Committee accused Canada of flying drones over training sessions before the tournament, leading to one-year FIFA suspensions for Canada women's coach Bev Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander, and analyst Joseph Lombardi.
Priestman remains on Canada Soccer’s payroll while the investigation continues, but her long-term future is unclear. Additionally, hints of prior misconduct raise concerns that more revelations might follow.
FIFA’s ruling noted an internal email in which performance analyst Morgan Drew rejected Priestman’s request to use drones for analysis. Another email submitted by Canada Soccer to FIFA indicated Priestman believed such practices were normal for both men’s and women’s teams.
The scandal also involved former coach John Herdman, who was identified as starting the use of drones during his tenure leading the women’s team. Canada Soccer’s statement linked the practice to Herdman, who has pledged cooperation but refrained from public comment due to the ongoing investigation. In July, Herdman maintained that his record at major tournaments, including the Olympics and World Cups, was clean, stating, “I can clarify that during top events such as the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, no such activities occurred.”
Herdman, now coaching Toronto FC, led the Canadian women’s team to two Olympic bronze medals and World Cup appearances before transitioning to coach the men’s team in 2018. He stepped down from Canada Soccer in August to manage Toronto FC.
Assistant coach Andy Spence temporarily took charge of the women’s team at the Olympics during Priestman’s suspension and also managed the squad in a recent friendly against Spain. However, Spence has not been made available for media comments. Instead, guest coaches Diana Matheson and Katie Collar represented the team.
Despite being penalized six points and fined 200,000 Swiss francs (approximately $317,660) for the incident, Canada reached the knockout round of the Olympic tournament, eventually losing to Germany in a penalty shootout. FIFA’s ruling stressed that it only reviewed incidents related to drones at the tournament and expects Canada Soccer to share the broader investigation results for further potential action.
