Canadian Women’s Soccer Staffer Gets Suspended Sentence After Drone Incident

A staff member of the Canada women’s soccer team has received an eight-month suspended prison sentence for using a drone to film a closed training session of the New Zealand women’s soccer team. The incident occurred in Saint-Étienne, France, where the New Zealand team was preparing for a match against Canada.

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) issued a formal apology after the New Zealand Olympic Committee complained about the drone footage. This incident led to immediate consequences for the Canadian team: Joseph Lombardi, an "unaccredited analyst" with Canada Soccer, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander were sent home. Additionally, head coach Bev Priestman chose to step down from coaching the upcoming match against New Zealand.

According to the Saint-Étienne prosecutor’s office, the drone was spotted during a closed training session on July 22. The police detained the Canadian national, 43, who was found to have filmed the training session. This individual claimed to be a sports coach and independent analyst working for the Canadian federation.

The prosecutor’s office also reported that a second drone incident occurred on July 20. The Canadian staff member admitted to the charges and accepted the suspended sentence. The assistant coach involved in the incident was also questioned.