According to a damning report from FIFA’s Appeals Committee, documents show that Bev Priestman and current Toronto FC manager John Herdman were at the heart of the spying scandal.
On Wednesday, the game’s international governing body revealed the evidence that led to the sanctions against the women’s squad and its head coach.
The FIFA document shows that Canada Soccer suspects’ spying practice began with Herdman, who served as head coach of the women’s national team before Priestman took over.
The documents also show an email exchange between Priestman and a performance analyst, who objected to the practice.
During the correspondence, Priestman responded by explaining the practice of drone spying as being “widespread” and pointed to the men’s national team, alleging they do it as well.
Meanwhile, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Canada Soccer’s appeal against the punishment imposed on the Canadian women’s team at the Paris Olympics for the organization’s drone-spying.
Priestman and two other employees were handed one-year suspensions over the scandal, and Canada Soccer maintains that the federation did not facilitate the spying.
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