Canada women's coach Bev Priestman, along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi, were fired on Tuesday following an independent review conducted by attorney Sonia Regenbogen of the firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark. The investigation was prompted by a drone surveillance scandal that occurred at the Paris Olympics, where New Zealand raised concerns about a drone flying over practices before the start of the Olympic tournament.
FIFA subsequently fined Canada Soccer $228,000 and deducted six standings points from the team as a result of the incident. Priestman, Mander, and Lombardi were suspended by FIFA for a year in connection with the drone surveillance.
Despite the penalties imposed, Canada managed to advance to the group stage of the Olympics, where they eventually lost to Germany in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks.
The independent investigation found no evidence that Canadian players had viewed the drone footage. However, it revealed that assistant coaches and other support staff felt unable to challenge the authority of the head coach.
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue acknowledged the findings of the investigation, stating that the drone incident in Paris was indicative of a broader culture of insufficient oversight within the national teams. Blue emphasized the organization's commitment to implementing necessary changes to improve Canada Soccer across all aspects.
The review also addressed allegations of drone usage by the men's team at the Copa America, determining them to be unfounded. However, potential violations by former Canada men's coach John Herdman were identified, leading to the initiation of a disciplinary process under the Canada Soccer Disciplinary Code.
Herdman, who departed from Canada Soccer last year and currently coaches Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, will undergo a thorough review of the investigation's findings. Both MLSE and Toronto FC have refrained from further comments until the review process is completed.
In response to the investigation, Herdman reiterated his stance that such activities were not undertaken at major events like FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, or Youth World Cup.
