By Canadian Press

FIFA vice-president says Canada’s drone-spying at Olympics was ‘completely stupid’

Dec 9, 2024 | 3:54 PM

TORONTO — Canada’s decision to deploy a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session at the Paris Olympics was “completely stupid,” says FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani.

“In the sense that I have no idea what the hell you’re going to get out of that,” said Montagliani, a former Canada Soccer president who is also president of CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The scandal cost Canada women’s coach Bev Priestman her job, with assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joe Lombardi also leaving Canada Soccer. All three are serving one-year suspensions from FIFA.

“Now, listen, do clubs and countries push the envelope to try to gain an upper hand? Yeah,” said Montagliani when asked about the scandal at a media roundtable Monday. “If we say no to that, we’re fools.

“We’ve all been into countries that will do anything they can, whether its fireworks the night before a match. Whatever they think that will get you three points. Because when it comes to football, a lot of countries think it’s war. But for me personally I just thought it (the drone spying) was the definition of stupidity.”

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FIFA, which runs the football competition at the Olympics, also docked the Canadian women six points at the tournament after a Canadian staffer was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand team practices before the start of competition at the Paris Games.

Canada Soccer was also fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($322,500).

Canada Soccer continues to investigate just how deep a culture of spying was ingrained in the organization and has opened a disciplinary hearing into former Canada men’s and women’s coach John Herdman, who resigned as Toronto FC coach last month.

“If any of this stuff reveals any new information whatsoever that’s subject to FIFA jurisdiction, the FIFA ethics committee or discipline committee, or both, will act on it,” Montagliani said.

Montagliani says disciplinary issues in soccer usually fall under the national governing body. But Canada Soccer could refer the matter to FIFA if it has wider-ranging implications.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 0b7cfe534fc0318d8edd850e4e9e2dd163bce73f233a4fca03c07c1716735f41.jpg, Caption:

Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF and vice-president of FIFA, speaks during a fireside chat in Toronto on Thursday, February 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

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