July 24th 2024.
As the anticipation builds for the start of the Paris Olympics, Canada's women's football team is making headlines, but not for the reasons they would have hoped. It has been reported that two members of their staff have been let go after being accused of using a drone to spy on their upcoming opponents, New Zealand.
The incident came to light on Wednesday when the New Zealand Olympic Committee revealed that a drone had been spotted flying over and filming their training camp. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the drone belonged to a member of Canada's team. This caused the NZOC to take swift action, reporting the incident to the police and detaining the staff member responsible.
With their first game against New Zealand scheduled for Friday, Canada's Olympic Committee immediately addressed the situation, promising to look into the accusations and provide an update on Thursday afternoon. It was then revealed that two staff members had been sent home as a result of the incident.
In a statement, the Canadian Olympic Committee outlined the sanctions and consequences imposed on the individuals involved. Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, was removed from the team and sent home immediately. Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach who reported to Mr. Lombardi, was also removed from the team and sent home. Additionally, head coach Bev Priestman chose to remove herself from coaching the upcoming game against New Zealand.
In light of this incident, the Canadian Olympic Committee has also mandated ethics training for all staff members. They are in communication with the IOC and FIFA and will continue to review the situation, taking further action if necessary.
In her own statement, Coach Priestman expressed her regret and apologized to both New Zealand Football and her own team. She took responsibility for the conduct of her program and, in the spirit of integrity, voluntarily withdrew from coaching the upcoming game. She emphasized that this decision was made with the best interests of both teams in mind and to uphold the sportsmanship of the game.
As more information becomes available, we will provide updates on the situation. It is clear that this incident does not reflect the values of Canada's team and they are determined to make things right.
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