Team Canada’s Olympic women’s soccer team has filed an appeal against the six points it was deducted when its coaches were caught spying on the New Zealand team’s practice. Last week, the Kiwis complained to French police Soccer Canada staff representing the women’s team were using a drone to record their pre-Olympic training in St. Etienne, FR. Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi were immediately dismissed with a one-year ban. Head coach Bev Priestman was then leveled a one-year ban, removed from her role overseeing the 2024 Olympic team and sent home from Paris. She said she was "heartbroken for the players,” the CBC reported. “I am sorry,” she said, per CTV. Assistant coach Andy Spence stepped in to replace Priestman.The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) together with Canada Soccer launched the appeal against the points deduction, but not against Priestman’s ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released a statement Monday confirming Canada seeks a decision to either “cancel or reduce the points deduction,” per the BBC. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in addition to banning Canadian coaching staff for a year fined the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) CA$313,145, citing Canada Soccer’s tactics of spying on competition with the drone was a “violation” of FIFA’s policies. Canada Soccer said they filed the appeal due to the “disproportionality of the sanction.”“(The points deduction) unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand,” said Canada Soccer. CAS will announce its decision early Wednesday The final decision of the COC and Canada Soccer's appeal to the CAS is expected in the early morning MT Wednesday, with hearings taking place Tuesday. Even with the six-point deduction, if the women’s soccer team beats Colombia in their final group game on Wednesday, Canada would qualify for quarter-finals, per the Canadian Press. The women’s team beat New Zealand 2 to 1 last week, and subsequently beat France with the same score.
Team Canada’s Olympic women’s soccer team has filed an appeal against the six points it was deducted when its coaches were caught spying on the New Zealand team’s practice. Last week, the Kiwis complained to French police Soccer Canada staff representing the women’s team were using a drone to record their pre-Olympic training in St. Etienne, FR. Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi were immediately dismissed with a one-year ban. Head coach Bev Priestman was then leveled a one-year ban, removed from her role overseeing the 2024 Olympic team and sent home from Paris. She said she was "heartbroken for the players,” the CBC reported. “I am sorry,” she said, per CTV. Assistant coach Andy Spence stepped in to replace Priestman.The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) together with Canada Soccer launched the appeal against the points deduction, but not against Priestman’s ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released a statement Monday confirming Canada seeks a decision to either “cancel or reduce the points deduction,” per the BBC. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in addition to banning Canadian coaching staff for a year fined the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) CA$313,145, citing Canada Soccer’s tactics of spying on competition with the drone was a “violation” of FIFA’s policies. Canada Soccer said they filed the appeal due to the “disproportionality of the sanction.”“(The points deduction) unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand,” said Canada Soccer. CAS will announce its decision early Wednesday The final decision of the COC and Canada Soccer's appeal to the CAS is expected in the early morning MT Wednesday, with hearings taking place Tuesday. Even with the six-point deduction, if the women’s soccer team beats Colombia in their final group game on Wednesday, Canada would qualify for quarter-finals, per the Canadian Press. The women’s team beat New Zealand 2 to 1 last week, and subsequently beat France with the same score.
