Six penalty points for Canada and a year for its coach for the espionage case!

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has severely punished the Canadian women’s team, current Olympic champions, for the case of espionage with a drone against New Zealand, which was its opponent on the first day of the soccer tournament of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

FIFA announced today that Canada has been penalized six points as a result of the scandal, a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (208,000 euros) and, in addition, its coach, Beverly Priestmanwas suspended for one year from all football-related activities such as Jasmine Manderassistant coach, and the employee Joseph Lombardi.

This is how the scandal arose

The scandal erupted on Monday when police guarding the Auguste-Dury stadium in the city of Saint-Étienne were alerted by the New Zealand team to the presence of a drone on the pitch where their players were training.

The person who operated the drone was Joseph Lombardia 43-year-old technical analyst, who worked for Jasmine Mander and became a member of the Canadian team but without official accreditation for the Paris Olympic Games. After being arrested, on Wednesday Lombardi He was sentenced to eight months in prison, although without prison, by the prosecutor of Saint-Étienne after the arrest.

Sentence and Canada are already taking steps

The prosecutor of Saint-Étienne explained that the analysis of the drone showed that, in addition to the recording of the New Zealanders on Monday, it was also done three days before, on July 19, in another stadium in the area.

After the decision, the Canadian Olympic Committee itself immediately sent their country both to Lombardo as to Mander. In turn, due to the seriousness of the events, the New Zealand Football Federation referred the case to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

Success without the coach, eventually suspended

On Thursday, Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in Saint-Étienne, points void after the sanction issued today by FIFA. A fight where Beverly Priestman He was off the bench by his own decision and the Canadian Football Federation subsequently suspended the coach for the remainder of the tournament. In his place is the assistant coach Andy Spence sitting on the bench.

Canada faces hosts France tomorrow and Colombia on Wednesday. Despite the six-point penalty, he is now -3 and can still qualify for the quarterfinals as one of the two best third parties in the three groups and, therefore, continue to defend the Olympic title. To do this you need to win the two aforementioned battles.