Canada fans celebrate victory following the Women's group A match between France and Canada during the Olympic Games on July 28, 2024 in Saint-Etienne.Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images
The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hold a hearing Tuesday to consider an appeal by the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer of a six-point deduction, imposed by FIFA, on the Canada women’s team for the Olympic tournament.
In a statement Monday, the Switzerland-based court said it would announce a decision likely by Wednesday morning, the day of Canada’s next match, against Colombia.
In its decision on Saturday, FIFA cited Canada’s violation of rules concerning offensive behaviour and fair play.
FIFA also imposed one-year suspensions from any football-related activity for head coach Beverly Priestman, team analyst Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander.
The court said the Canadian associations have not appealed the suspensions.
Canada coach Bev Priestman, July 30, 2023.Scott Barbour/The Canadian Press
The Canadian side had been enveloped in scandal in the days leading up to the official opening of the Games after New Zealand’s women’s team complained that Canada had been spying with a drone flying over a closed practice in Sainte-Étienne.
Canada has won its first two games of the tournament, but the points deduction will make it next to impossible to advance to the medal round.
Soccer fans across Canada express shock and anger over drone scandal
In a statement, the COC said the appeal was based on what it called “the disproportionality of the sanction, which we believe unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand.”
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