Reactions are pouring in online after two staff members of the Canadian Olympic soccer team were removed and sent home immediately from the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, following two drone incidents involving New Zealand’s women’s soccer team.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said a non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team had been detained by French authorities in Saint-Étienne after receiving a complaint by New Zealand Football on July 22nd.
The staff member was believed to have been using a drone to record the New Zealand women’s football team during practice, COC explained in a press release.
The COC was later made aware of a second drone incident at a July 19 New Zealand practice.
The committee identified Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander as the involved, and says the pair has both been removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair-play and we are shocked and disappointed,” COC wrote in the news release. “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Canada Soccer staff will also undergo mandatory ethics training as a result of the incidents.
The team is expected to face New Zealand in a match on Thursday, but Head Coach Bev Priestman has chosen to remove herself from coaching the game.
“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for,” Priestman said in a press release.
“I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program. Accordingly, to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”
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Tons of social media users are reacting online to the incident, many describing the act “pathetic” and “embarrassing” to the country, only days ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“What a ridiculous thing to do,” a user on Reddit wrote. “Not starting off the Olympic Tournament on the right foot for sure!”
“Imagine thinking you could do this without being caught or incurring consequences,” another user said. “Absolute idiocy, complete lack of judgement by anyone involved.”
Some are calling for the resignation of Priestman and the entire coaching team for their lack of leadership.
“Bev and coaching team should be fired over this,” one user said on Reddit.
“If Bev accepts full responsibility then she should resign or at least join the other two in going home,” another user wrote.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games kick off on Jul. 26 and will run until Aug. 11.
