Canada’s men’s soccer team embroiled in drone surveillance controversy, but Jesse Marsch keeps his distance

Jesse Marsch’s Canadian men’s team has been embroiled in the Olympics drone spying scandal after the women’s team manager was fired over spying allegations.

Kevin Blue, the chief executive of Canada Soccer, confirmed he had received “anecdotal feedback” about the use of drones at the Copa America, but Marsch, the former Leeds United coach, was unaware they had been used.

Canada’s camp was thrown into disarray this week after two team members were sent home for allegedly using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training camp. Bev Priestman, the England manager in charge of the women’s team, has been suspended from the Games while investigations are underway.

On Friday, however, Blue confirmed that the allegations now extend to the men’s team. “I am aware of an instance of attempted drone use at the Copa America,” Blue said. “I spoke to our current head coach about the incident after it occurred and I know he denounced this as a practice to his team.”

Unlike Marsch, who appears to have been unaware of the potential use of a drone last month, Priestman, 38, was deemed “highly likely” to have been aware of the incident at the Olympics, which led to his suspension by Canada Soccer.

Britain coach Priestman has denied any involvement but was absent from Thursday’s 2-1 win over New Zealand while FIFA and the International Olympic Committee investigate.

Canadian media reports that both the country’s senior teams — men’s and women’s — have relied on drones for years. Blue said in a statement that “additional information has come to our attention regarding the previous use of drones against opponents, prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

He added that Priestman has been suspended from her duties until the end of the tournament and the completion of the organization’s independent external review. Assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the reigning gold medalists for the remainder of the tournament.

The Canadian Olympic Committee said Wednesday that assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were “sent home immediately” and that it accepted Priestman’s decision to step away from coaching the opening match.

Priestman spoke Wednesday after the training and said: “My reaction was that you feel this program has let the country down. That’s why I took the proactive step of doing what I felt was the right thing. Regardless of the details, I am ultimately responsible.”

She had agreed to a contract in late January to coach Canada through the 2027 Women’s World Cup. She was hired in November 2020 to succeed Kenneth Heiner-Møller and was working on a rolling contract. She led Canada to a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics but was eliminated in the group stage of last year’s World Cup. She coached the team to 28 wins, nine losses and 10 draws.

Priestman spent five years with Canada Soccer in a variety of coaching roles before returning in June 2018 to her native England, where she served as head coach of the under-18 women’s team and assistant coach of the senior women’s team. Prior to that, she spent four and a half years as head of soccer development in New Zealand before leaving in June 2013.

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