OneFootball
Chloe Digby·27 July 2024
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Chloe Digby·27 July 2024
FIFA's Appeal Commission has reached a decision after Canada Women's team were found to have been using drones to spy on opposition teams.
The ruling states that the side will receive a six-point deduction in the Olympics football tournament, which will almost certainly see them go home after the group stages.
What's more, head coach Bev Priestman has received a one-year ban, and her two assistants will also be excluded for the 12-month period.
The team will also be hit with a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs, which works out at around $226,000.
The side "was found responsible for failing to respect the applicable FIFA regulations in connection with its failure to ensure the compliance of its participating officials of the OFT [Olympic Football Tournament] with the prohibition on flying drones over any training sites," read a FIFA statement.
"The officials were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s Women’s representative team’s drones usage in the scope of the OFT."
Canada will now have 10 days to appeal against the ruling.