Government withholds funding ‘related to suspended Canada Soccer officials’

PARIS – Canada’s Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough said the government is withholding some of Canada Soccer’s funding following a spying scandal involving the women’s Olympic soccer team.

FIFA has stripped the team of six points over a drone spying scandal at the Paris Games.

It also banned head coach Bev Priestman and two assistants for a year each and fined Canada Soccer around $313,000.

Qualtrough says the funding, which is “linked to the suspended officials”, is withheld for the duration of their FIFA sanction.

She says there is a deeply troubling pattern of behavior at Canada Soccer.

Two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand training before the teams played their opening game last Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press