Canada Soccer launches appeal against six-point Olympic penalty for drone spying scandal

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. .This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.