Canada’s women’s national soccer team coach, Bev Priestman, was terminated from her position on Tuesday following an independent investigation into a drone incident during the Paris Olympics.

Alongside Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were also dismissed as part of the findings released by Canada Soccer.
The controversy began when New Zealand raised concerns about a drone hovering over their training sessions ahead of the Olympic tournament, which led to FIFA imposing a hefty fine of $228,000 on Canada Soccer and deducting six points from the team’s standing.

All three staff members faced a one-year suspension from soccer’s governing body. Despite this setback, Canada managed to progress to the group stage but was eliminated by Germany in the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout.
The investigation, conducted by attorney Sonia Regenbogen from Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark, concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the Canadian players had viewed any footage captured by the drone.

However, it did uncover that assistant coaches and support staff felt unable to challenge Priestman’s authority.
Priestman, who previously guided the team to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, was unavailable for immediate comment.

The review affirmed that no drones were utilized during the Tokyo event, yet it highlighted that two coaches had engaged in inappropriate surveillance practices prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kevin Blue, CEO of Canada Soccer, remarked that the findings point to a troubling culture and lack of oversight within the national teams.

He emphasized that such practices would no longer be tolerated as Canada Soccer seeks to implement urgent necessary changes moving forward.

Although the investigation has concluded, Blue noted that there will be further efforts to set a new course for the organization.
The inquiry also examined allegations that the men’s team had used drones for spying during the Copa America, but found them to be baseless.

However, it did raise potential violations related to the former head coach of the men’s national team, John Herdman, who was unable to participate in the investigation due to scheduling conflicts.

In a summary provided by Canada Soccer, it was stated that potential breaches of the Code of Conduct and Ethics by Herdman were identified, leading to a disciplinary process for further assessment of these issues.

Herdman, who left Canada Soccer last year, is now the head coach of Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.

The club stated that they would assess the report’s findings thoroughly before making any additional comments.

In July, Herdman had responded to related inquiries, clarifying that such activities had not taken place during major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympic Games.