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OTTAWA: Canadian women’s national team football coach Bev Priestman and two assistants suspended by FIFA over a drone scandal at the Paris Olympics will not be returning, Canada Soccer announced Tuesday.
A report released Tuesday by Canada Soccer detailed findings of an investigation into the using of drones to illegally film New Zealand practices at the Paris Olympics.
The report found Priestman and assistant coach Jasmine Mander “directed, approved and condoned the actions taken by” assistant coach Joey Lombardi to fly a drone over closed New Zealand practices ahead of Canada’s first match, a 2-1 victory over New Zealand.
The three Canadian coaches were sent home and banned for a year by FIFA, and a Canada Soccer statement Tuesday said the trio had effectively been fired.
“The three individuals currently suspended by FIFA will not be returning,” Canada Soccer said. “The search for a new head coach for the women’s national team will commence shortly.”
Drone footage was not viewed by players on the Canadian women’s squad, according to the report on the independent external investigation conducted by Sonia Regenbogen, a Toronto attorney.
The probe also found no evidence any surveillance was undertaken at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where the Canadian women captured a gold medal.
Potential violations of Canada Soccer’s ethics and conduct code by former Canadian men’s head coach John Herdman were identified and are being examined to see if a greater investigation is warranted.
The report found no substantiation of alleged drone use by the men’s team to film a rival’s practice at Copa America.
Canada Soccer chief executive officer Kevin Blue and president Peter Augruso were unaware of drone surveillance and did not condone such actions, according to the report.
The report said some staff and assistant coaches were uncomfortable with spying on opponents but did not feel they could challenge a head coach.
Canada Soccer’s board of directors is contractually mandating reporting unethical behavior and ethics training for coaches and staff members and creating an independent audit and compliance committee as a result of the report.
“The findings of the independent investigator reveal that the drone incident in Paris was a symptom of a past pattern of an unacceptable culture and insufficient oversight within the national teams,” Blue said.
“This is no longer part of our operations. In fact, the investigation findings strengthen our resolve to continue implementing changes that are needed to improve Canada Soccer, in all respects, and to do so with urgency.
“We are working to change Canada Soccer into a federation that Canadians trust and are proud of, and one that is not defined by unfortunate actions of the past.”
In a joint statement, Blue and Augruso said they are taking disciplinary steps that will be private but reinforce expected conduct with consideration for “specific facts and power dynamics of each situation” — calling it a time of reflection and a turning point.

TURIN, Italy: Top-ranked Jannik Sinner made it two wins in two matches before his home fans at the ATP Finals, beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday in a rematch of the US Open final that the Italian also won in straight sets.
As the crowd chanted “Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner,” the home favorite gave them just what they came for by turning up his intensity when it mattered most.
Sinner survived a marathon service game midway through the first set then broke his American opponent with a huge forehand up the line on his first set point.
When Sinner produced a backhand passing shot up the line while on the run midway through the second set, he held his finger up to his ear to encourage the crowd to cheer louder.
Sinner, who beat Alex de Minaur in his opening match at the season-ending event for the top eight players, improved to 23-1 in his last five tournaments.
Earlier, Daniil Medvedev moved back into contention with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over De Minaur following a temper tantrum in his previous match.
Medvedev didn’t face a single break point and was generally much sharper than in his straight-set loss to Fritz on Sunday — during which he smashed his racket and lost his cool twice.
Sinner leads the group while Fritz and Medvedev are next with one win each.
De Minaur, who is making his debut at finals, lost both of his opening matches.
The top two finishers from each round-robin group advance to the semifinals.
On Thursday, Medvedev faces Sinner and De Minaur plays Fritz in the final matches of the group.
In the other group on Monday, Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud beat Andrey Rublev and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.
Sinner is playing at home for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he tested positive in two separate drug tests this year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling in the case is expected early next year.
Medvedev had to ‘block the noise’ after temper tantrum
When his match was over, Medvedev closed his eyes and held his fingers to his ears. Then he wrote on a camera lens, “Block the noise.”
“I went into this match also blocking the noise even from myself,” Medvedev said. “No like tantrums and stuff. Just block the noise. And I really didn’t care what was happening on the court. I just tried to play and it was a good feeling.”
Medvedev won the finals in 2020 — the last edition held in London.
“The more popular you become, the more fans you get, the more haters you get, the more attention you get. And sometimes even the good noise can make you off balance,” Medvedev said.
“You know, you win everything and everyone thinks you’re a god. ... Then you lose two matches and everyone is like, ‘Finished, your career is finished.’ So sometimes it’s good just (to) block it,” Medvedev added.