Canadian soccer teams have been spying with drones for years

The crippled successful Canadian soccer’s Olympic drone spying scandal thickens. A TSN report alleges that the Canadian men’s and women’s shot teams person been spying connected opponents — with and without drones — for years.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Olympic women’s shot squad landed successful blistery h2o aft the New Zealand squad spotted a drone flying implicit their practice. The incidental was reported to French authorities, and it was discovered that the drone relation was Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited “analyst” with the Canadian squad. Lombardi and adjunct manager Jasmine Mander were subsequently sent home, portion caput manager Bev Priestman voluntarily withdrew from the opening lucifer against New Zealand. Priestman has since been suspended from the Games entirely.

It would’ve been a large capable ungraded had this been a 1 off, but TSN’s study cites sources adjacent to the substance saying the squad utilized the aforesaid tactics during the women’s team’s golden medal tally astatine the Tokyo Olympics successful 2021 and a Women’s World Cup qualifier crippled against Panama successful 2022. The men’s nationalist squad besides reportedly filmed signifier sessions of the US men’s squad successful 2019 and a World Cup qualifier against Honduras successful 2021.

More troubling: the study alleges that Canadian squad unit and contractors were told that drone spying was portion of the occupation — and that their positions were threatened if they didn’t comply. One root told TSN that during the Tokyo Olympics, unit adjacent hid down bushes, fences, and trees to movie the Japanese team’s signifier session. Another Canada Soccer contractor said erstwhile they refused to partake successful the filming strategy for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, they were replaced by a staffer who would.

Kevin Blue, CEO of Canada Soccer, says the assemblage is investigating the “systemic ethical shortcoming” but that the enactment isn’t considering withdrawing the women’s squad from the Games. Blue besides insisted that the players were unaware of the drone spying tactics and pleaded that the squad not beryllium further penalized. Meanwhile, FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Canada shot and Priestman.