The Canadian women’s soccer team faced a big setback at the Paris Olympics due to a drone spying scandal.
FIFA, the global soccer governing body, announced on Saturday that Canada would lose six points, and their head coach, Bev Priestman, would be banned for a year.
This decision came after Canada was found guilty of using drones to spy on the New Zealand team’s training sessions before their opening match, which Canada won 2-1. Because of this, the Canadian team will start with minus three points in Group A, making it very hard for them to advance.
The Canadian Soccer Association is looking into appealing the six-point deduction. They were also fined NZ$383,855. Coach Priestman, along with Canadian officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, were banned for one year for “offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play,” according to FIFA.
David Shoemaker, chief executive of the Canadian Olympic Committee, expressed sympathy for the players, stating they had no role in the scandal. He said they are exploring ways to appeal the points deduction to support the athletes.
Canada Soccer’s chief executive, Kevin Blue, called FIFA’s decision “excessively punitive” towards the players.
Canada now faces a tough challenge with two matches left to play. They are scheduled to play France, the top team in Group A, on Sunday, and Colombia, who have no points, on Wednesday. The decision can still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
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