An incident involving the Canadian women’s soccer team at the Paris Olympics has put them in a difficult situation, as a few staff members were accused of using a drone to spy on the training sessions of a rival team.
The New Zealand squad noticed a drone flying above them during a training session in Saint-Étienne, just days before their game against Canada. This wasn’t an isolated event, with a similar occurrence taking place a few days earlier.
Following reports of these surveillance flights, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) issued a public apology, acknowledging the importance of fair play and expressing their shock and disappointment over the incident.
In response, two implicated members of the Canadian Olympic Team have been sent home, with one allegedly operating the drone and the other allegedly receiving information from it. Canada’s team coach, Bev Priestman, has also stepped down from coaching responsibilities for the upcoming New Zealand game.
In a statement, Priestman denied any involvement in the incident and extended apologies to both New Zealand Football and the Canadian team, highlighting that such actions do not align with their team values.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee expressed their dismay over the incident, reporting it to the police and lodging a formal complaint with the IOC integrity unit. FIFA has initiated an investigation into the matter.
