FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Group B - Canada Training - Avenger Park, Melbourne, Australia - July 30, 2023 Canada coach Bev Priestman during training REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/File Photo
(Reuters) - New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell called on FIFA to take urgent action over a spying scandal involving Olympic champions Canada at the Paris Games and said failure to do so could tarnish the sporting integrity of the entire tournament.
Canada women's coach Bev Priestman removed herself from opening match duties while an assistant coach and a team analyst were kicked out of the Games on Wednesday amid allegations of drone use at two New Zealand practice sessions.
Canada, who won their first Olympic title three years ago in Tokyo, open their campaign in Paris against Group A opponents New Zealand later on Thursday.
Canada Soccer has said it will launch an independent review into the matter while FIFA has begun disciplinary proceedings.
"There is no place for this type of action in football and it is critical that urgent action is undertaken to address this integrity breach," Pragnell said in a statement on Thursday.
"To hear now that the Canadian team had filmed secret footage of our team training at least twice is incredibly concerning and if not treated urgently could have wider implications for the integrity of the tournament."
Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said he was confident Priestman had no knowledge of the spying incident but added that if any facts were to become known suggesting she was involved, then the body would impose further sanctions.
"We note that there have been some admissions by the Canadian National Olympic Committee, and they have taken their own sanctions against the Canadian team," Pragnell added.
"However, considering the seriousness of the situation, and the potential implications to the sporting integrity of the entire tournament, we have referred the matter to the FIFA disciplinary committee seeking urgent action."
New Zealand's Olympic Committee has also reported the drone incident to the police and the International Olympic Committee's integrity unit.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
