Canada Soccer Members Removed from Olympic Team, ‘Sent Home Immediately’ Amid Controversy

Two key members of Canada Soccer have been removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and “sent home immediately” ahead of the Paris Games, according to a statement from the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).

Joseph Lombardi, who the COC describes as an uncredited analyst working for Canada Soccer, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander were removed from the team and sent home.

The COC, in their statement issued Wednesday, revealed, “The COC is in contact with the (International Olympic Committee) and in contact with FIFA. Canada Soccer has been transparent and cooperative throughout the process,” indicating that further actions may follow as the incident is thoroughly reviewed.

Jasmine Mander speaks English and Punjabi and both of her parents were born in India grew up playing soccer. She was four years old when she started playing soccer at Surdel Soccer; she was five years old when she joined Surrey FC selected to attend the FIFA Women’s Football Regional Coaching.

Earlier in the day, the COC acknowledged that a “non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team” had been detained by local authorities in Saint-Étienne, a town roughly 400 kilometers south of Paris, near Lyon, France.

“The staff member is believed to have been using a drone to record the New Zealand women’s football team during practice,” the statement read. The New Zealand team had lodged a formal complaint on July 22, two days before the detainment.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play and we are shocked and disappointed,” the COC emphasized.

In response to the incident, Canada’s head coach, Bev Priestman, will not participate in the upcoming match against New Zealand. In a heartfelt statement, Priestman expressed her regret and took responsibility for the actions of her staff.

“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. “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.”

Furthermore, the COC announced that Canada Soccer staff will be required to undergo mandatory ethics training to prevent similar incidents in the future.

This development underscores the importance of integrity and fair play in sports, as both the COC and Canada Soccer work diligently to address the situation and uphold the values that the Olympic Games stand for.