Canada women’s soccer coach will step aside for the team’s opener because of drone incidents

Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman said Wednesday she’ll step away from the team’s opening game against New Zealand at the Paris Olympics in the wake of a drone scandal.

New Zealand complained to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit after it said drones were flown over closed practice sessions earlier in the week. Canada, the defending Olympic champion, was set to open the Paris Games on Thursday against New Zealand in Saint-Etienne.

In the fallout of the complaint, two staff members — assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi — were sent home, the Canadian Olympic Committee said Wednesday.

Priestman said she was voluntarily removing herself from the opener “with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”

In a statement, Priestman also apologized to New Zealand.

“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,” she said. “This does not represent the values that our team stands for.”

Assistant coach Andy Spence will lead Canada in the opener.

Priestman also spoke briefly in person to reporters after training.

“By no means did I direct the individuals,” she 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.”

FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, said its disciplinary committee had opened hearings against Canada Soccer, Priestman, Lombardi and Mander. Canada Soccer announced late Wednesday that it would conduct an independent review.

The COC confirmed Tuesday that a nonaccredited member of Canada’s soccer team staff was detained by French authorities after a drone was spotted above training.

A French court on Wednesday sentenced a 43-year-old Canadian man to an eight-month suspended sentence for filming two of New Zealand’s closed training sessions with an aerial device.

The man, who was not named, admitted to the charges and identified himself an independent sports analyst for the Canadian federation, according to the Saint Etienne prosecutor David Charmatz.

The COC also apologized to the New Zealand Olympic Committee and New Zealand Football.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed,” the statement said. “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”

The NZOC said it and New Zealand Football “are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games — at this time the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign.”

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.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games