Two former members of the Canadian women’s soccer team who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics have denied watching drone footage of their competitors.
Their statements come several days into a drone-spying scandal that threatens to tarnish the image of Canadian soccer during one of the biggest spotlights for the women’s national team, amid the possibility of what the head of Canada Soccer described as “a systemic ethical shortcoming” within the organization.
Former captain Christine Sinclair, who retired last year with more than 300 caps on the senior team, said she had never been shown or discussed drone footage in team or individual meetings she was present for during 23 years.
“It’s unfortunate that the players of our national team have had to play through condemnable actions by some of their staff as they attempt to defend our gold medal,” Sinclair said in a statement released on her Instagram account. “Actions players have no control over.”
Retired goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé, whose heroics in net were key to Canada winning gold, said she studied the night before every match, watching video of players taking penalty kicks in national and club team games.
“Made my own educated guesses based on that info,” Labbé wrote on X. “NO DRONE FOOTAGE was watched. Do not confuse great goalkeeping with cheating.”
While Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue emphasized that players at the Paris Olympics haven’t engaged in any unethical behaviour, he painted a less rosy picture of the organization as a whole.
WATCH | Blue addresses drone scandal and what is known so far:
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue addressed the media from Paris, regarding instances where both Canada’s women’s and men’s teams were involved in spying on other countries’ closed practices with the use of a drone.
“The more I learn about this specific matter, the more concerned I get about a potential long-term and deeply embedded systemic culture of this type of thing occurring, which is obviously completely unacceptable,” Blue said.
Allegations of spying going back ‘several years’
It started with an “unaccredited analyst” with Canada Soccer who was intercepted flying a drone over New Zealand’s practice. The Canadian Olympic Committee sent the analyst and a Canadian assistant coach home, but the fallout didn’t stop there.
After initially recusing herself from Canada’s game against New Zealand on Thursday, head coach Bev Priestman has been suspended pending an internal Canada Soccer review into the issue. That came after the Canadian Olympic Committee determined Priestman likely knew about the spying after all.
Blue indicated the problem in Canada Soccer may go deeper than one rogue performance analyst, perhaps even deeper than one team’s coaching staff.
Blue revealed there was an incident of “attempted drone usage” during the Canadian men’s team’s successful Copa America run, and that he’s received allegations of spying dating back “several years,” potentially pre-dating Priestman, who was hired in 2020.
“To Canadians, it’s clear that you’ve been let down in this instance,” Blue said.
“Competing within the rules is obviously a fundamental expectation that’s held by Canadians, and that standard has not been met here.”
‘You have to fix it’
Even without the findings of Canada Soccer’s review, CBC Sports analyst and longtime national team player Amy Walsh said it’s devastating for players to have to deal with the country’s reputation being “sullied,” as a country that holds itself to a high standard of character.
“The past results and performances and medals are going to be questioned and discredited and tarnished,” said Walsh, who earned more than 100 caps with the Canadian team.
“I think that they have to get to the bottom of that.”
In the four months since he’s been hired at the national sport organization, Blue said one of his biggest takeaways has been “the extent to which it’s part of the culture globally to employ tactics that might be in the ethical grey area in order to gain an edge,” without elaborating on some of those tactics.
But regardless of what everyone else is doing, that doesn’t make the behaviour right, Walsh said.
WATCH | Priestman likely aware of spying, Canadian Olympic Committee says:
Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive officer David Shoemaker says the head coach of the national women’s soccer team was likely aware drones were used to spy on another team’s practices in France. Kevin Blue, the Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary, says there is suspicion ‘this type of behaviour’ is ‘systemic.’
“Even if it’s rampant in world football, they’ve discovered it is now also between the borders or within the borders of Canada,” she said.
“You have to fix it and you have to take a strong stance on it, 100 per cent.”
Ontario Soccer banned drones in 2022
At least two provincial soccer organizations, in Quebec and Manitoba, are considering implementing a policy on drone use, similar to a ban Ontario Soccer enacted in October 2022, CBC Sports confirmed.
That policy, developed due to safety concerns and to limit drone use “until broader safety regulations regarding drones have been more widely adopted,” prohibits the use of drones “for recreation and for practical uses including the recording of practices, games and competition.”
Hector Vergara, executive director of Manitoba Soccer, said the organization will “have no comment until the investigation by Canada Soccer is completed and we are provided with background on their decisions.”
As Canadians coast-to-coast continue to digest the fallout from the scandal, and the International Olympic Committee and FIFA continue to investigate, Blue called for the focus to be on the players defending a gold medal. The team will play its second group-stage match against host France on Sunday afternoon.
Blue said he hasn’t considered withdrawing the team from the tournament, even as the scandal has overshadowed the whole tournament and perhaps the entire Canadian delegation in Paris.
“I will not consider us withdrawing on the basis of the fact that we support our players as Olympians and their right to be here and their right to compete.”
