Canada Send Two Staff Members Home Over Drone Incident

Beverly Priestman, the manager of Canada’s women’s football team, will not oversee her team’s opening match at the Olympics against New Zealand after two of her staff members were sent home for allegedly flying a drone over New Zealand’s training session.

Priestman, aged 38, has “voluntarily withdrawn” from Thursday’s game in St Etienne following a report by the New Zealand Olympic Committee about a drone being flown over their training session on Monday.

Jasmine Mander, Priestman’s assistant, and “unaccredited analyst” Joseph Lombardi have been sent back to Canada. FIFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Canada Soccer, Priestman, Lombardi, and Mander.

The Canadian Olympic Committee revealed that a scouting report prepared by Lombardi was sent to Mander. Priestman has accepted responsibility for the incident, stating, “I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee expressed their dismay, stating, “The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed. We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has lodged a formal complaint with the IOC integrity unit and has requested a thorough review from Canada. They emphasized their commitment to maintaining the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games, expressing their profound disappointment over the incident.

Reported By BBC Sports.