FIFA has announced the suspension of Canada women’s soccer team head coach Bev Priestman from participating in any football-related activity for a year. This decision comes after one of the team’s staff members flew a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand women’s soccer team.
The individual responsible for flying the drone, Joseph Lombardi, described as an 'unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer' by the Canadian Olympic Team (COC), received an eight-month suspended prison sentence for his actions. Lombardi was promptly sent home from the Olympics, along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander, to whom he shared his report. Both Mander and Lombardi have also been suspended for a year, as confirmed by FIFA.
In addition to the individual sanctions, both Canada’s men’s and women’s soccer teams have been penalized with a six-point deduction at the ongoing Olympics, according to FIFA.
