The fallout from Canada Soccer’s drone-gate scandal continues, and this time, it’s Ottawa laying down the hammer.
What happened: The federal government will withhold some of Canada Soccer’s funding in response to a drone spying scandal that has engulfed the women’s national soccer team in a sea of controversy at the Paris Olympics.
- Canada’s minister of sport says the feds will not stop funding the program itself but will withhold funds tied to suspended individuals, including head coach Bev Priestman who was banned by FIFA from coaching for one year.
- The women's team was also docked six points in the Olympic qualifying round, a penalty that makes it unlikely they will advance to the next round of the tournament.
Why it matters: The fallout at this year's Olympics may just be the tip of the iceberg. With reports that spying also occurred during the team’s historic gold medal win at the Tokyo Games, a damning asterisk has now been slapped on one of Canada’s proudest Olympic moments.
Zoom out: Canada’s men’s team has also found itself in the crosshairs. Canada Soccer’s CEO says that the men’s team has used similar tactics for years, including attempts to use drones for spying during its historic run at the Copa America this summer.—LA