Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Olympic soccer spygate: Canada staffer detained, coach sent home after drone incident

PARIS — A Canada soccer staffer was caught flying a drone over a New Zealand training session earlier this week as the two teams prepared to meet on opening day of the women's soccer competition here at the 2024 Olympics.

The Canadian Olympic Committee acknowledged in a statement Wednesday that a “non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team was detained by French authorities” following the incident.

The COC then added in a follow-up statement that the analyst, Joseph Lombardi, and his boss, assistant coach Jasmine Mander, would be removed from the Canadian delegation and sent home from the Games.