Canadian Soccer Coach Seems To Hint At Deeper Spying Program In Newly Released Email

The Canadian women's soccer team is gearing up for their final match of the group stage at the Paris Summer Olympics and a win would send the team into the knockout stages despite a hefty 6-point penalty imposed for a drone-spying scandal.

A scandal that continues to get wilder.

So, if you weren't aware, even before the Olympics started, Team Canada was in some trouble. New Zealand — who Canada opened the tournament against — reported a drone flying over their practice, and it just so happened that this drone was being flown by Canadian women's team analyst Joseph Lombardi.

Lombardi was detained by French police and barred from Olympic competition, as was assistant coach Jasmine Mander, while head coach Bev Priestman was sent back to the Great White North. All three also received one-year bans from FIFA.

Canada Soccer appealed the six-point deduction (not the suspensions) arguing that it impacted players who had nothing to do with spying. The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the ruling, but this doesn't seem like it's over.

That's because a public document released by FIFA outlining the decision to uphold the ruling includes a pretty stunning email sent by Priestman about an analyst who had "wanted to confirm that you will not be asking me to fulfil [sic]the role of 'spying' in the upcoming camp & future camps."

Canadian women's soccer head coach Beverly Priestman appears to hint at more widespread "spying" within the Canadian soccer system. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Could There Be More Than Just The One Drone-Spying Incident?

Priestman's response seemed to hint at a much deeper spying program than may have been initially thought.

"Seeking your advice and input here regarding this formal email on spying," Priestman wrote to an unnamed staff member, per Sportsnet. It's something the analyst has always done and I know there is a whole operation on the Men's side with regards to it...

"Yesterday in a meeting when discussing, I asked (the unnamed analyst) to propose a alternative solution as for scouting it can be the difference between winning and losing and all top 10 teams do it. I received this more 'formal' email this morning and so just after guidance really as to what from a HR stand point I can do or do I need to find another solution in resourcing? It's a tricky one and it's formal for a reason I feel…"

Well… see what I mean when I said that this story appears to be far from over.

There will be a lot of eyes on Canada Soccer over the coming months as Canada is set to be one of the hosts for the 2026 World Cup along with the United States and Mexico.