Two members of the Canadian Olympic team were fired and “repatriated immediately” on Wednesday after it was discovered they were filming a New Zealand women’s soccer match with a drone. [soccer] I will be cheering on the team during practice.”
Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) Said The association said it was “shocked and disappointed” that the incident violated Canada’s commitment to “fair play” during the Olympics.
The Canadian Soccer Association said in a statement on Tuesday that a “non-official member of the Canada Soccer Support Team” had been detained by French police in the city of Saint-Etienne, near Lyon, for allegedly spying on the New Zealand women’s soccer team with a drone.
On Wednesday, the COC announced that “non-official analyst for Soccer Canada” Joseph Lombardi and women’s soccer assistant coach Jasmine Mander would be sent home.
Canada’s National Post, Lombardi is a 43-year-old experienced technical coach who has worked in the FIFA system since 2009. She served on the staff of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and worked in six FIFA Youth Tournaments over the previous decade.
Mander, 29, is an assistant coach under Lombardi and is close to head coach Bev Priestman. She was an assistant coach when Canada won gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Mander has been coaching soccer since she was a teenager.
Toronto-based women’s executive network Recognized Jasmine Mander was named one of the “Most Influential Women” in Canadian Sport in 2020.
In another twist to Mander’s sad downfall, her brother Amar is a physiotherapist for the New Zealand women’s team and the whole family was looking forward to seeing the siblings compete against each other at the Olympics.
“I never imagined we would be competing in the Olympics, let alone playing against other soccer teams. Honestly, it’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words,” Amar said in an interview last month.
Canada Soccer said it was cooperating fully with the International Olympic Committee and FIFA football associations on their investigations, adding that the bodies had directed all Canada Soccer officials to undergo mandatory ethics training.
Coach Bev Priestman apologized to both the Canada and New Zealand players, saying Lombardi and Mander’s actions “do not reflect the values our team stands for.”
“I am ultimately responsible for actions within our program. Therefore, to underscore my commitment to the integrity of our team, I have made the decision to voluntarily recuse myself from coaching Thursday’s game. In the spirit of responsibility, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is being upheld,” Priestman said.
“I support the sanctions imposed by the Canadian Olympic Committee, the apology to New Zealand and the decision of coach Bev Priestman,” said Carla Quartaugh, Canada’s minister of sport and physical activity.
“These robust measures will ensure that individuals are held accountable and help maintain the integrity of the competition and fair play for all athletes,” Kwartlough said.
New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) Filed a complaint The New Zealand Olympic Committee spoke to the IOC after Lombardi’s arrest and asked the COC to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the incident. The New Zealand Olympic Committee said a team member spotted the drone and contacted police.
The NZOC and New Zealand Football Union said they were “shocked and disappointed” by the incident.
