Canada’s women’s football team have been deducted six points from their group in the Olympics and coach Bev Priestman has been banned for one year after a drone was used to spy on a rival team’s training sessions.
Fifa announced the sanctions – which include a £175,720 fine for the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) – a day after English-born Priestman was removed as Canada’s Olympic head coach.
CSA officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander have also been suspended by Fifa for a year.
Football’s governing body Fifa said the use of the drone by Canada’s team was in “violation” of its principles.
“The officials were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s Women’s representative team’s drones usage in the scope of the Olympic football tournament,” said a Fifa statement.
Priestman “voluntarily” withdrew from her coaching duties for Canada’s opening game against the Kiwis after the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported a drone was flown over their training session on Monday.
Fifa and the CSA launched investigations and the latter said the 38-year-old was “highly likely” to have been aware of the incident.
The CSA can appeal against the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and in a statement reacting to the sanctions, its chief executive Kevin Blue and Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker both said an appeal was under consideration.
“We are exploring options to appeal on the basis that it is excessively punitive towards our Women’s National Team players – who were not involved in any unethical behaviour,” Blue said.
“Canada Soccer took swift action to suspend the implicated staff members and is also proceeding with a broad independent review that may lead to further disciplinary action.”
Shoemaker added: “We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian Women’s Olympic Soccer Team who as far as we understand played no role in this matter.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Priestman said she took responsibility for the actions of her colleagues after a scouting report filed by Lombardi was sent to Mander.
On Thursday, a French court said Lombardi had been given an eight-month suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to flying a drone in an urban area without a licence.
The following day Shoemaker said there “appears to be information that could tarnish” Canada’s women’s football triumph from the Tokyo Games.
It followed Canadian media reports that drones had been used at previous tournaments.
Assistant coach Andy Spence will take charge for the remainder of the Games, with the defending Olympic champions’ next game against France on Sunday.
Canada beat New Zealand in their opening game to earn three points but Fifa’s sanction leaves them on minus three in Group A, with games against the host nation and Colombia to come.
