The Canadian women’s soccer team formally challenged on Monday the six-point ranking penalty imposed by FIFA in connection with the spying scandal involving the use of a drone at the Paris Olympics.
A verdict is expected to be delivered hours before Canada’s final group stage match on Wednesday against Colombia.
FIFA punished Canada on Saturday, banning coach Bev Priestman and two of her assistants for a year, after New Zealand’s training sessions were allegedly spied on using a drone.
The fast-track legal process initiated by the Canadian Soccer Association and its Olympic committee was formally filed Monday with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“Earlier today, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Soccer Canada challenged the automatic deduction of six ranking points by FIFA imposed on the Canadian Soccer Association Women’s Team in Group A of the Olympic soccer tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” read the COC statement.
“The appeal was submitted to the special tribunal of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, formed in Paris during the Olympic Games, which allows the case to be dealt with expeditiously during the Games. In order to preserve the integrity of the appeal process, we will wait until the end of the appeal process before making any further comments,” it added.
CAS said a hearing will take place on Tuesday, and its three-judge panel will issue a decision around noon on Wednesday.
Canada will face Colombia in Nice on Wednesday night, and must know their fate before the start of the match.
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