The Canadian Olympic Committee has suspended women's national soccer coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris Games after her staff allegedly used a drone to spy on an opponent.
Two members of the Canadian team, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi, were “sent home immediately” for allegedly using a drone to spy on a New Zealand practice.
Canada defeated New Zealand, 2-1, on Thursday.
Priestman, who has denied involvement, initially volunteered to step away from the club before the committee's decision.
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Canada head coach Bev Priestman during a match against Mexico at BMO Field on June 4, 2024, in Toronto. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
It's not just the New Zealand incident, though. Canadian Soccer Federation CEO and General Secretary Kevin Blue said in a COC statement that “we have been made aware of additional information regarding the prior use of drones against opponents, prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
Blue added that Priestman has been suspended from her duties until the end of the tournament and the completion of the independent external review of the organization.
Lombardi, 43, was arrested for flying a drone over the Auguste Dury stadium on Monday and filming two closed-door training sessions of the New Zealand national team. He later admitted the charges and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
The COC identified Lombardi as “an unaccredited analyst for Canada Soccer.”
Canada head coach Beverly Priestman gestures during the 2024 Concacaf Gold Cup W quarterfinal against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
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“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed,” the COC said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to the New Zealand Football Federation, all affected players and the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”
Priestman was hired in November 2020 to succeed Kenneth Heiner-Møller and had been working on a rolling contract. She led Canada to a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics, but the team was eliminated in the group stage of last year's Women's World Cup.
In her opening statement she said she was “ultimately responsible for the conduct on our show.”
She has coached the team to 28 wins, nine losses and 10 draws.
Canada head coach Bev Priestman speaks to her team after a She Believes Cup match against Brazil at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (Andrea Vilchez/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
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Canada is in Group A along with host country France and Colombia.
Paulina Dedaj of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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