Removed Canada coach 'likely' knew about drone

Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said new information from Soccer Canada showed suspended women’s coach Bev Priestman was likely aware of the drone use that has caused a scandal at the Paris Olympics.

The COC removed Priestman on Thursday after her suspension by Canada Soccer. The decision followed complaints from New Zealand that Canada flew drones over two of their training sessions before the two sides met in their opening Olympic fixture, which Canada won 2-1.

Assistant Andy Spence will coach Canada for the remainder of the Games.

Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue said he would not consider removing the Canadian team from the tournament.

“I feel frustrated about the distraction it has created but I have not considered withdrawal of the team,” he said during a Friday news conference. “Primarily because we feel like we have addressed the situation swiftly and significantly. … The players have not themselves engaged in unethical behaviour.”

Shoemaker also said he was comfortable with Canada’s team remaining in Paris to defend their Olympic gold medal amid rumblings the team should be disqualified over the scandal that has thrust them into an unsavoury spotlight.

Blue confirmed that the men’s team “attempted drone usage” to gather information during the recently concluded Copa América in the United States, and added that coach Jesse Marsch subsequently denounced the practice to his staff.

He said it was his understanding that it did not have an impact on the competitive integrity of the match but would not offer details.

Blue said Marsch was “aware of it after the fact at a minimum.”

After media reports of previous drone use by Canada’s women’s team, including at the last Olympics, he added that the thought that the issue could impact the team’s gold from Tokyo made him feel ill.

“One of the key pieces of information was the conclusion from Canada Soccer that [Priestman] needed to be suspended based on their accumulation of facts,” Shoemaker said during Canada’s opening news conference on Friday.

“I’ve seen some of the information they have, and we gathered some additional information ourselves that made me conclude that she was highly likely to have been aware of the incidents here.”

The scandal has led to angry calls for the Canadian team to be sent home as well.

“I’m comfortable with the team competing as it is,” Shoemaker said. “We’ve made decisions as it relates to the ultimate sanction we have, participation on Team Canada here in Paris at the Olympic Games, that we get to nominate athletes and coaches to Team Canada and we get to remove them.

“If more facts and circumstances emerge, we can continue to contemplate further action as necessary. It’s important to me that Canadians’ questions are answered, and so we’re going to continue to do our best to answer those questions.”

Canadian sports network TSN reported that drone use predates the 2024 Olympics, with two sources with first-hand knowledge telling TSN the team had filmed other opponents’ closed-door training sessions, including during the Tokyo Olympic tournament.

Canada Soccer CEO Blue said Thursday night after the match new information came to light.

“They gave me reasons to think further about the potential that this behavior was systemic,” Blue said.

“There now appears to be information that could tarnish that Olympic performance in Tokyo, makes me sick to my stomach to think that there could be something that calls into question one of my favourite Olympic moments in history — that women’s team winning that gold medal against all odds, in those COVID restrictions,” Shoemaker said.

“We encourage and I know Canada Soccer will investigate all of this fully, including Tokyo, [and] we’ll not only cooperate fully but more collaborate to make sure they get to the bottom of it.”

John Herdman, who coached Canada’s women’s team from 2011 to 2018 and the men’s team from 2018 to 2023, denied any involvement in the practice, saying that his thoughts were with the players and that he would assist Canada Soccer in the investigation.

“I’m highly confident that in my time as a head coach at an Olympic Games or World Cup, we’ve never been involved in any of those activities,” the current Toronto FC coach said during a news conference Friday.

Canada great Christine Sinclair, captain of the gold-medal winning team in Tokyo, released a statement on Friday, condemning the use of drones to spy on opponents’ and insisting players had no knowledge of it.

“It’s unfortunate that the players of our National Team have had to play through condemnable actions by some of their staff as they attempt to defend our gold medal. Actions players have no control over,” she posted on Instagram.

“I want to be clear that having been a national team player for 23 years, we were never shown or discussed drone footage in team or individual meetings I’ve been present for.”

Canada beat Sweden in a penalty shootout to claim Olympic gold in Tokyo.

“There is no protest planned, and otherwise we are taking a pass on the opportunity to make any statement on the matter,” Swedish FA spokesperson Fredrik Madenstam said.

Canadian officials said the issue was an opportunity to reinforce their message of fair play.

“While I don’t like any tarnish that surely has resulted already, we must do what’s right,” Shoemaker said. “We’ve been speaking for years now about the importance of winning well, and when we’ve been given a limited opportunity as it relates to the soccer team to send that message, that winning well is the only way, we’ve got to send that message.”

FIFA and the International Olympic Committee were investigating the incident. Canada Soccer said it would perform an internal review.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.