The Canadian Olympic Committee said Saturday it is “considering appeal rights” after a FIFA decision stripped the Canadian women's soccer team of six points over a drone spying scandal at the Paris Games.
The sport's governing body also said Canada Soccer would be fined C$313,000 and three coaches, including head coach Bev Priestman, would be suspended for one year each.
Two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand training before the teams played their opening match last Thursday, a 2-1 win for Canada.
Canada Soccer was found responsible for failing to ensure its staff complied with tournament rules.
“We are truly sorry to the athletes of Canada’s Women’s Olympic Soccer Team who, to our knowledge, played no role in this matter,” said COC CEO David Shoemaker. “In support of the athletes, in collaboration with Canada Soccer, we are exploring appeal rights related to the six-point deduction in this Olympic tournament.”
Priestman, who led Canada to the Olympic title in Tokyo in 2021, has already been suspended by the national federation and eliminated from the Olympic tournament.
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“Canada Soccer is disappointed with the impact that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision has had on our athletes,” said Kevin Blue, CEO of Canada Soccer. “We are exploring options to appeal, as it would be overly punitive towards our women’s national team, which has not been involved in any unethical conduct.”
FIFA's decision came after the Canadian team completed its afternoon training session at Stade Auguste Dury ahead of Sunday's match against hosts France.
At the end of the session, interim coach Andy Spence spoke about the challenges the team has faced over the past week.
“Obviously what happened was very unfortunate and difficult,” he said. “So I think this is an opportunity for us to say that this doesn't align personally with what I believe, what Canada Soccer believes, the values that we believe in and the team believes in, and I had nothing to do with it.
“I think now all my energy and focus has to be on pushing the team and helping them move forward.”
Coaches and the Canadian Football Federation can challenge the sanctions imposed before the Special Olympic Tribunal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Paris, created for urgent hearings and verdicts at the Olympic Games.
The point deduction, if confirmed by the CAS judges, does not eliminate Canada from the tournament.
This could mean the team has to win all three Group A games and hope to advance with three points, probably to second in the standings.
FIFA expedited its own disciplinary proceedings by asking its appeals judges to take up the case. The FIFA judges determined that Priestman and his two assistants “were found responsible for offensive conduct and breaches of the principles of fair play.”
Like Priestman, team analyst Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander have been suspended from all football-related activities for one year.
The Canadian Football Federation has been found liable for non-compliance with applicable FIFA rules, the statement said, in connection with its failure to ensure compliance by its officials participating in the (tournament) with the ban on flying drones over any training site.
Canada is scheduled to play its final group match on Wednesday against Colombia in Nice.
— With files from The Associated Press
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