A member of the Canadian national football team tried to spy on the New Zealand team.
A Unither Bioelectronique drone flies over a high-density urban area in Toronto, September 2021. Jason Van Bruggen / AFP
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A member of the Canadian women's soccer team was sentenced to eight months in prison on Wednesday, July 24, for flying a drone over a training session of the New Zealanders, their future Olympic opponents said on Wednesday, July 24, the Saint-Étienne prosecutor's office, while FIFA has opened an investigation.
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The 43-year-old Canadian citizen, He was tried on Wednesday afternoon as part of a criminal plea hearing (CRPC), and his conviction was accepted. According to the Saint-Etienne prosecutor's office.
Furthermore, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Canadian team and the coach in particular.
Training session filmed using a drone
The 40-year-old was arrested on Monday by police after being informed by the supervisor of the Olympic training sites in Saint-Etienne, after he filmed a training session in this New Zealand city using a drone, the future rival of the Canadians in Geoffroy-Guichard (5 p.m.).
The New Zealand team manager had stopped training after seeing a drone flying, and the incident was immediately reported to police, according to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
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The use of the photos showed that he had indeed filmed these players the previous Saturday, in the same circumstances, at the Michon stadium in Saint-Etienne, the Saint-Etienne prosecutor's office determined, adding that the suspect had confessed while in police custody. “The videos would have allowed him to learn the opposing team's tactics.”.
The ruling was accompanied by the confiscation of all seals (drone and electronic video analysis devices) seized in his hotel room, according to the prosecution.
The coach announces his withdrawal from the next match.
The person who piloted the drone was an unauthorized member of the Canadian team, according to a press release from the Canadian committee, which is in contact with the International Olympic Committee and FIFA to determine what action to take.
Canada coach Bev Priestman announced her withdrawal from the match against New Zealand following the incident.
The Canadians, the Olympic champions, face New Zealand on Thursday (5pm) in their first group match, before meeting France on Sunday.