Spotted spying on New Zealand’s training sessions, the Canadian team was heavily sanctioned by FIFA on Saturday on the eve of facing Les Bleues.
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A very heavy sanction. FIFA announced on Saturday, July 27, that it had withdrawn six points from the Canadian women’s team, reigning Olympic champion and future opponent of Les Bleues at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, following the drone spying affair on the New Zealand team.
This sanction greatly weakens the Canadians, but does not mathematically condemn them in the race for the quarter-finals, since they can still qualify as best third-placed if they manage to win all their matches. Their coach, Bev Priestman, as well as two other members of the staff, including the drone pilot, are also “suspended from all football-related activities for a period of one year”the world football body said in a statement.
In a statement released Saturday evening after the sanctions were announced, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said: “sorry to the players of the Canadian Olympic women’s football team”which, according to him, “played no role in this matter”. In connection with the Canadian Football Federation, he said “study the possibilities of appealing” of the deduction of six points, judged “excessively punitive”.
Asked at a press conference on Saturday afternoon about this spying controversy, the defender of the French team Elisa De Almeida confided that the players had “spoke a little” between them and that they were “a little shocked”.
“We’re just looking forward to playing against them tomorrow, it’s none of our business.”
Elisa De Almeida, defender of the French teamat a press conference
Goalkeeper Constance Picaud added that she “didn’t like cheaters”relying on the ongoing investigation before drawing any conclusions. The FFF did not wish to comment on this sanction. The French women will face Canada on Sunday, July 28, at 9 p.m., in Saint-Etienne.