Report: Canada Soccer blames John Herdman for starting drone spying practice

Canada Soccer blamed former coach John Herdman for starting the illegal drone spying practice that caused three Canadian women’s soccer coaches — including head coach Bev Priestman — to be suspended for a year, and the team deducted six points in the group stage of this year’s Olympics.

According to reports from Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press and John Molinaro of TFC Republic, Canada Soccer told FIFA in an official document that Herdman started the drone spying practice when he was the head coach of Canada’s women’s team.

“… We suspect that the practice of using a drone stems back to John Herdman when he was the head coach of the women’s national team,” Canada Soccer wrote to FIFA in the document, according to Molinaro and Davidson.

“In other words, this was a practice started by one person — John Herdman — and continued by Bev Priestman. It was not facilitated by the federation. New Canada Soccer administration is supporting a full independent investigation of this issue and has already taken steps to ensure that this scouting tactic does not happen again.”

Herdman coached the Canadian women from 2011 to 2018 and led the team to two Olympic bronze medals in 2012 and 2016. He then was the Canadian men’s head coach from 2018 to 2023 before leaving the organization to become the head coach of Toronto FC.

Priestman was an assistant coach under Herdman during his time with the women’s team.

Earlier this week, after news of the scandal broke, Herdman told reporters he does not believe he or anyone on his staff has been involved in any drone use during his tenure with Canada.

“I’m highly confident that in my time as a head coach at an Olympic Games or World Cup, we’ve never been involved in any of those activities,” Herdman told reporters Friday.

Herdman now coaching Toronto FC in MLS

Molinaro reported that Herdman told reporters at TFC’s practice on Wednesday that he will support the ongoing investigation in any way he can, but refrained from commenting on the situation directly.

“The integrity of the (Canada Soccer) investigation is the most important piece now, and as part of that, I’ll be supporting with as much evidence as I can offer, or support I can offer, through that investigation. So, until that concludes I won’t be able to comment on those matters specifically,” Herdman said.

On Wednesday, Herdman also once again stated that his Canadian teams did not spy on opponents at a World Cup, Olympics or youth World Cup, Molinaro reports.

“Those activities have not been undertaken,” Herdman said.

However, Herdman may not be out of the weeds yet. In the public FIFA document on the case against Priestman and assistant coaches Jasmine Mander and Joseph Lombardi, the chairperson of FIFA’s Appeal Committee said that action against other individuals could still be taken after Canada Soccer’s independent external review.

“As the Chairperson understands it, (Canada Soccer) is conducting its own broader investigation into spying. In this respect, the Chairperson expects (Canada Soccer) to provide FIFA with the results of said investigation in order for it to be able to assess and decide whether further action by the FIFA bodies is necessary and appropriate,” the document said.

Despite the hefty penalties sanctioned against the Canadian women’s team in Paris, the team persevered to go undefeated in the group stage and advance to the quarterfinals against Germany on Saturday

On Wednesday, Canada’s appeal to FIFA’s decision to penalize the team six points was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Canada did not appeal the one-year ban handed to Priestman, Mander and Lombardi.

Canada Soccer released a statement after the decision was announced.

“We are disappointed with today’s appeal decision and continue to believe that our players should not have been unnecessarily punished for actions that were not their own,” Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso said.

Canada Soccer also announced lawyer Sonia Regenbogen has been retained to lead its investigation into spying.

Regenbogen is an expert in conducting independent workplace investigations, Canada Soccer said.