Gabi Rennie of the New Zealand Football Ferns in a game against the Canadian women's national team in Montreal in October 2021. Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / www.photosport.nz
New Zealand Football has asked that Canada not be awarded any points if they win Friday morning's game between the two teams as the Olympics spying scandal deepens.
The call comes after it was confirmed there was a second drone spying attempt on the Football Ferns from the Canadian team, three days before the first incident.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is confident the women's team head coach Bev Priestman had no knowledge of the spying ahead of their gold medal title defence at the Paris Games.
Photo: William West/AFP
The COC said it accepted Priestman's decision to remove herself from Friday morning's (NZT) opening match against New Zealand while two Canadian team staff members were sent home.
David Shoemaker, the CEO of the COC, was asked repeatedly during an online media availability how Priestman avoided suspension and why he was comfortable with her resuming her coaching duties after Thursday's game.
"I was persuaded by the fact that Bev Priestman had no involvement, no knowledge in the incident," Shoemaker told reporters. "Those who had the direct involvement in the incident we removed from Team Canada.
"There is no room for that in Team Canada. It doesn't conform to our standards of fair play and our values at the Canadian Olympic Committee."
Shoemaker said if any facts were to become known in the future suggesting Priestman was involved then the COC reserves the right to impose further sanctions.
Canada Soccer is launching an independent external review into the matter while global soccer's governing body FIFA has begun disciplinary proceedings.
Shoemaker also said he felt there was no need for Priestman to miss more than one game since, according to him, she was not in possession of any footage from New Zealand's training sessions.
"We thought about all the repercussions for Bev," said Shoemaker. "At the end of the day the drone footage related to the filming of two New Zealand practices remained in the hands of the pilot of the drone and the advantage that I guess was intended to be obtained was not obtained."
Shoemaker also said that while he is not aware of any calls for the women's team to be disqualified from the Olympics he did say New Zealand Football registered a complaint to FIFA, asking that Canada not be awarded any points if they win.
Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne addresses his players. Photo: photosport
New Zealand Football have released their first statement on the spying incident.
The statement does not confirm whether New Zealand Football has asked for Canada not to receive any points should they win, though NZF CEO Andrew Pragnall said they are seeking urgent action from world governing body FIFA.
"There is no place for this type of action in football and it is critical that urgent action is undertaken to address this integrity breach.
"To hear now that the Canadian team had filmed secret footage of our team training at least twice is incredibly concerning and if not treated urgently could have wider implications for the integrity of the tournament.
"We note that there have been some admissions by the Canadian National Olympic Committee, and they have taken their own sanctions against the Canadian team, however, considering the seriousness of the situation, and the potential implications to the sporting integrity of the entire tournament, we have referred the matter to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee seeking urgent action."
-Reuters / RNZ
