Members of Canada women’s coaching staff “objected” to requests to fly drones over opposition training sessions in the two years before the scandal which engulfed the team at Paris 2024.
An independent external investigation into the illegal use of drones, commissioned by Canada Soccer, found that one coach raised concerns “several times” between 2022 and 2024.
Two of Canada’s coaching staff were sent home during the Olympic Games for flying a drone over a training session held by New Zealand, their opponents in a group game, while national team coach Beverly Priestman was removed from her duties.
Priestman was suspended by Canada Soccer shortly after the incident and the governing body said on Tuesday the 38-year-old Englishwoman will not return to the role.
“The search for a new head coach for the women’s national team will commence shortly,” it said in a statement.
The names of those who raised the objections have been redacted from the transcripts released as part of the findings, to comply with privacy laws and with confidentiality commitments.
The report concluded the drone footage was not viewed by any of Canada women’s national team players.
Two of the women’s national team coaches “directed acts of improper surveillance predating the 2024 Paris Olympics”, but “no evidence was found” that it took place at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Games where Canada won gold.
The investigation, conducted by Sonia Regenbogen of law firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark, has prompted Canada Soccer to promise operational and structural changes.
These include contractually mandated reporting of unethical behaviour and new software to facilitate confidential reporting, plus education regarding Canada Soccer’s code of conduct and ethics.
Canada Soccer chief executive Kevin Blue said: “The findings of the independent investigator reveal that the drone incident in Paris was a symptom of a past pattern of an unacceptable culture and insufficient oversight within the national teams.
“We are working to change Canada Soccer into a federation that Canadians trust and are proud of, and one that is not defined by unfortunate actions of the past.”
