Canadian Staff Expressed Objections to Drone Use Before Olympic Scandal

Members of the Canada women’s national team’s coaching staff expressed “objections” to proposals for deploying drones over opponents’ training sessions during the two-year period leading up to the controversy that affected the team at Paris 2024, where they were eliminated by Germany on penalties in the quarter-finals. A probe into the unauthorized deployment of drones, initiated by Canada Soccer and conducted independently, revealed that a single coach voiced concerns “several times” between 2022 and 2024. During the Olympic Games, two members of Canada’s coaching personnel were sent back home after flying a drone over a training session of New Zealand, who were their group stage adversaries, and national team coach Beverly Priestman was relieved of her responsibilities. Canada Soccer suspended Priestman soon after the event, and the sport’s governing body announced on Tuesday that the 38-year-old English coach would not be reinstated in her position. In an official statement, it declared: “The search for a new head coach for the women’s national team will commence shortly.” The identities of individuals who voiced these objections have been withheld from the released transcripts of the findings, in adherence to privacy legislation and pledges of confidentiality. The investigation’s report determined that no players from the Canada women’s national team accessed the drone footage. While two coaches from the women’s national team “directed acts of improper surveillance predating the 2024 Paris Olympics,” the report indicated that “no evidence was found” of such activities occurring at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Games, where Canada secured a gold medal. This inquiry, carried out by Sonia Regenbogen from the law firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark, has led Canada Soccer to pledge modifications to its operations and organizational structure. These forthcoming changes encompass the contractual requirement to report unethical conduct, the introduction of new software to enable confidential reporting, and educational initiatives concerning Canada Soccer’s code of conduct and ethics. Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer’s chief executive, commented: “The findings of the independent investigator reveal that the drone incident in Paris was a symptom of a past pattern of an unacceptable culture and insufficient oversight within the national teams.” He added: “We are working to change Canada Soccer into a federation that Canadians trust and are proud of, and one that is not defined by unfortunate actions of the past.” Furthermore, Canada Soccer has commenced disciplinary actions against John Herdman, an Englishman, pertaining to his tenure as head coach of the Canada men’s national team from 2018 to 2023, citing “potential violations of the Canada Soccer code of conduct and ethics.” Herdman departed his role with the Maple Leafs in August 2023 to assume the head coaching position at Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. The 49-year-old received an invitation for an interview as part of the inquiry, but “due to scheduling issues,” the involved parties “were not able to reach a mutually agreed time to meet.” An accusation regarding a men’s coaching staff member using a drone to record an opponent’s training session at the 2024 Copa America “was not substantiated,” as per the report. The report also indicated that Jesse Marsch, the current head coach of the men’s national team, who was appointed in May 2024, informed his coaching staff “that he did not approve” of “any efforts to surreptitiously film the practice sessions of opponents and any such practices would not be permitted.” The report further stated: “He [Marsch] communicated that any practices that may have existed under [name removed] leadership regarding the use of drones were not continuing under his leadership.” It was determined that neither Canada Soccer’s chief executive, Kevin Blue, nor its president, Peter Augruso, had sanctioned or possessed knowledge of the deployment of drones for opponent surveillance.