Bev Priestman apologizes for Olympic spy scandal: 'To Canada, I am sorry'

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Bev Priestman apologized on Sunday for the damage done to both the Canadian women’s soccer team and the reputation of the country in the ongoing fallout from the Olympic drone scandal.

“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them,” the suspended head coach said in a statement Sunday. “To Canada, I am sorry. You have been my home and a country I have fallen in love with. I hope you continue to support these extremely talented and hardworking players, to help them defy all odds and show their true character.”

Priestman released her statement two hours before Canada faced France in a do-or-die match at Geoffrey-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne. On Saturday, the Canadians were docked six points in the group stage standings by FIFA, while Priestman and two of her staffers were banned from football-related activities for a year.

Canada Soccer was also fined $313,000 for spying on two New Zealand training sessions. The Canadians beat the Ferns 2-1 in their Olympic opener Thursday.

Priestman said she wants to take accountability and plans to fully co-operate with the national organizing body’s external investigation. She also commended the players for their pre-Games effort after crashing out of the women’s World Cup last year.

“They are a group of people who care very much about sportsmanship and integrity,” she said.

Though their tournament was quickly tarnished at the Paris Olympics, Priestman says the team’s gold-medal success in Tokyo should not be questioned.

“Their winning of the gold medal was earned through sheer grit and determination, despite reports to the contrary,” she said. “I fought with every ounce of my being to make this program better, much of which will never be known or understood.

“I wish I could say more, but I will refrain at this time, given the appeals process and the ongoing investigation.”

The federal government also weighed in on the Olympic spy scandal on Sunday, as Carla Qualtrough, the minister of sport, announced that funding related to suspended women’s national team head coach Bev Priestman and staff members Joey Lombardi and Jasmine Mander will be withheld for the one-year duration of their FIFA ban.

“Using a drone to surveil another team during a closed practice is cheating,” Qualtrough said in a statement. “It is completely unfair to Canadian players and to opposing teams. It undermines the integrity of the game itself.”