Canadian drone spy in France convicted
New Zealand women's soccer team training spied on before Olympic debut - by a member of Canada's team. The video analyst was arrested, brought to court, and sentenced to probation before the kick-off for eight months.
The drone scandal in Paris continues to shake up Canadian soccer: Video analyst Joey Lombardi was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended, by a court in Saint-Etienne. Lombardi confessed to the charges reported by the news agency AFP. Both Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander, who reported the incident, have been ordered to leave the Olympics.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) also announced that they have learned of a second incident related to the opening game against New Zealand(17 hours in the live ticker at ntv.de). The COC will continue to "investigate this matter further and take appropriate actions," according to a statement without further details.
Lombardi used a drone to spy on New Zealand's training, and the association lodged a complaint, leading to Lombardi's arrest in Saint-Etienne. Head coach Bev Priestman announced that she would not stand on the sidelines against New Zealand due to the incident. "On behalf of our entire team, I would first like to apologize to the players and staff of the New Zealand soccer association, as well as the Canadian team," Priestman said of the incident. "This is not the values our team stands for."
New Zealand Football also announced that they had referred the matter to the Disciplinary Committee of FIFA. "The news that the Canadian team has made at least two secret recordings of our team's training is extremely alarming and could, if not addressed immediately, have far-reaching consequences for the integrity of the tournament," said Andrew Pragnell, CEO of New Zealand Football.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris might face additional scrutiny due to another incident involving Canada's soccer team. They're suspected of spying on New Zealand's soccer team again, during their opening game, as reported by the COC.
Despite the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris being just around the corner, the Canadian soccer team seems to be embroiled in another controversy, allegedly involving another secret recording of New Zealand's team training.
