(Bloomberg) -- Canadian women’s soccer coach Beverly Priestman apologized and pledged “accountability” after the team was implicated in a drone spying incident at the Olympics that prompted FIFA sanctions and condemnation by Canada’s government.
In a letter from her sports lawyers, Priestman said Sunday she’s “heartbroken for the players” and will “fully cooperate” with an investigation. “In the meantime, I will be cheering from afar.”
Two Canadian team staffers were caught using drones to monitor New Zealand’s practice before the two teams met in the women’s Olympic tournament’s opener on Thursday, which Canada won.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, deducted six points from Canada’s women after the allegations surfaced and barred three staff members, including Priestman.
The Canadian government will withhold funding related to the suspended officials “for the duration of their FIFA sanction,” Sport and Physical Activity Minister Carla Qualtrough said in a statement Sunday.
“This issue has caused significant distraction and embarrassment for Team Canada and all Canadians here in Paris and at home,” Qualtrough said. “It is deeply regrettable.”
Using a drone to watch another team’s closed practice “is cheating” and undermines the game’s integrity, Qualtrough said.
Canada, the defending Olympic women’s soccer champion, avoided first-round elimination Sunday with a 2-1 win over France — its second victory in two group-stage games, though the six-point deduction leaves the Canadians with zero points for now.
Canadian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer David Shoemaker said in a statement his team would appeal FIFA’s penalty decision, calling it “excessively punitive.”
Canadian soccer officials took “swift action” to suspend the implicated staffers and will move forward on an independent review that could lead to further disciplinary action.
Former Canadian player and Olympic bronze medalist Kaylyn Kyle weighed in on Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying “only the players suffer for stupidity and selfishness.”
(Updates with Canada victory over France in eighth paragraph.)
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