Canada Soccer awaits findings of drone spy investigation, Priestman still paid

Nearly two months after Canada Soccer announced an independent, third-party investigation into the Paris Olympics drone spy scandal, the company, like all other soccer organizations, is still waiting for the findings.

Canada coach Bev Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi have been given one-year bans by FIFA after the New Zealand Olympic Committee filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee’s integrity department alleging that drones were flown over two training sessions ahead of the tournament.

Mander and Lombardi were immediately sent home. Priestman initially withdrew from coaching the opening match, but left the team after allegations of a wider culture of espionage.

FIFA subsequently banned all three “from participating in any football-related activity for a period of one year”.

Canada Soccer announced plans for an independent investigation on July 24, saying it would “address the circumstances of the current matter and, more broadly, seek to understand the historical culture of competitive ethics within all of our programs.”

“The outcome of this investigation will be made public and corrective action will be taken if necessary,” it added.

More than eight weeks later, Canada Soccer is still waiting for information to share. Priestman, though suspended, will continue to get paid.

“Bev Priestman remains a paid employee of Canada Soccer pending the conclusion of the investigation,” Canada Soccer said in a statement to The Canadian Press.

On July 31, Canada Soccer announced that it had hired Sonia Regenbogen of the law firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark to lead the investigation – “a focus on the actions taken by Canada Soccer representatives in relation to the incident at the Olympic Games, and subsequently any related matters of a historical nature.”

It called Regenbogen “a leading Canadian expert in conducting independent workplace investigations.”

“We will communicate promptly and transparently on this matter,” Canada Soccer said at the time.

When asked for a status update on the review, Canada Soccer had little to say.

“We appreciate the interest in the progress of the investigation and we look forward to the conclusions and recommendations. As this is an independent external investigation, we have no control over its timelines.”

However, the company said it was still “committed” to Regenbogen’s research.

The investigation could shed light on previous cases of cheating. A ruling by the FIFA Appeals Committee placed former Canada coach John Herdman at Ground Zero within Canada Soccer for spying on rival teams.

The July ruling, which dismissed a Canadian appeal of FIFA’s sanctions against the women’s team, said Canada Soccer pointed the finger at Herdman.

“Canada is investigating the history of this matter, but we believe the practice of using a drone dates back to John Herdman when he was head coach of the women’s national team. In other words, this was a practice started by one person — John Herdman — and continued by Bev Priestman,” Canada Soccer said, according to the FIFA document.

Herdman, who has said he will cooperate with the investigation, has declined to publicly address such allegations, citing the “integrity of the investigation.”

But he has said repeatedly that he had an impeccable record at the Olympics and World Cups.

“I can make it clear again that at a FIFA World Cup, a highlight, the Olympic Games, at a Youth World Cup, those activities were not undertaken,” he said in July. “And I have nothing further to say about it.”

Herdman, now head coach of Toronto FC, led Canada’s women to two Olympic medals, winning bronze in 2012 and 2016, as well as the Women’s World Cup in 2011 and 2015. He also took Canada’s men to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Toronto General Manager Jason Hernandez offered little when asked about the spying investigation this week, saying he was “holding back any feelings, thoughts or decisions until the decisions are made and everything comes out.”

Former Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson also declined to comment on the matter. But he suggested that such espionage “probably” occurs throughout the world of soccer.

“We’ve seen a lot of things that have happened over the years when I’ve played, where people have been watching us and spying on us,” Hutchinson, who played for clubs in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Turkey and won a record 104 caps for Canada, said in an interview.

“I think countries and clubs find ways to gain a little bit of an advantage in certain areas,” he added.

The Canadian women, who are ranked sixth, will be back in action on October 25 against third-place Spain at the Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

Canada Soccer has not yet announced who will coach the team. Assistant coach Andy Spence led the team during the Olympics in Priestman’s absence.

Canada managed to reach the knockout round of the Olympic tournament despite being deducted six points for the espionage scandal and Canada Soccer was also fined 200,000 Swiss francs (270,000 euros).

The Canadians were eliminated in the quarter-finals on penalties by number 4 Germany.

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