An assistant coach and an analyst have been removed from the Canadian women’s soccer Olympic team after New Zealand said a drone operated by a Canadian team staffer was flown over its team’s practice session, just days before the two Group A teams are set to face each other.
Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach on the Canadian women’s soccer team, and Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with the team, “will be sent home immediately,” the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said in a press release on Wednesday. Head Coach Bev Priestman also said she would remove herself from coaching the match against New Zealand on Thursday “to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”
“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada,” Priestman said in a statement. “This does not represent the values that our team stands for.”
The decision comes after the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) said in a press release Tuesday that a drone was flown over the New Zealand women’s soccer team training session in Saint-Étienne, France, on Monday. Staff members reported it to the police, and the drone operator was identified as a “support staff member” of the Canadian women’s soccer team and was detained, NZOC said.
NZOC said Tuesday it has “formally lodged the incident” with the integrity unit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and that Team Canada issued an apology and is investigating the situation.
“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” NZOC said.
COC said Wednesday that it learned of a second drone incident at a New Zealand team practice on July 19. COC said it is “in contact with the IOC and in contact with FIFA,” and “will continue to review this matter and may take further action if necessary.” Soccer team staff will also undergo a mandatory ethics training, according to the COC.
TIME has reached out to the IOC for comment.
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