Sep 18, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC head coach John Herdman watches play against the Columbus Crew in the first half at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images/ File Photo
TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto FC coach John Herdman has resigned amid the Canada Soccer drone scandal at the Paris Olympics that recently led to Bev Priestman being fired as Canada's women's head coach.
Herdman is the former head coach of both Canada's men's and women's teams, and has been linked to what an independent review found was a "practice of conducting surreptitious surveillance of opponents" in the national program that pre-dated the Paris Games.
While the Major League Soccer team gave no reason for his resignation, Canada Soccer said earlier this month in their summary of findings from an independent review that it had "initiated a proceeding with respect to Mr. Herdman under the Disciplinary Code."
"Potential violations of the Canada Soccer Code of Conduct and Ethics by the former head coach of the men's national team were identified," Canada Soccer said in the Nov. 12 summary.
Herdman was head coach of Canada's women's team from 2011-18, guiding them to bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, before taking over the men's side from 2018 to 2023.
He headed the men's national team at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 before he was hired by TFC in August of 2023.
The 49-year-old from Consett, England, said in July that he was confident such spying practices did not occur under his watch.
"Personally, I have made the difficult decision that it's the right time for me to step away from the club, as the organization defines its vision for the future," Herdman said Toronto FC's statement on Friday. "It has been an honour to wear the Toronto FC crest and contribute to the growth of the club.
"Working with this dedicated group of players and staff has been a true privilege. I want to thank (president and chief executive officer) Keith Pelley and MLSE ownership for the opportunity, and I also want to thank the incredible fans for the support they’ve shown me both on and off the pitch. I wish the organization success going forward, and I look forward to the next chapter in my career."
Canada Soccer said that Herdman was invited to be interviewed for the independent review but, due to scheduling issues, they had not been able to reach a mutually agreed time to meet.
Priestman received a one-year suspension by soccer's governing body FIFA after Canada used drones to spy on an opponent at the Paris Olympics.
She was then fired by Canada Soccer on Nov. 12 after the review showed the Paris incident was a symptom of a past pattern of an unacceptable culture and insufficient oversight within the national teams.
Among the report's findings, Priestman and an assistant coach "directed, approved and condoned" the use of a drone by a third member of the coaching staff to film an opposing team's training session at the Paris Olympics.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester, England)
