Nearly two months after announcing an independent external review into the Paris Olympics drone spy scandal, Canada Soccer, like everyone else, is still awaiting its findings.
Canada women's team coach Bev Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi are serving one-year suspensions from FIFA after the New Zealand Olympic Committee filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee's integrity unit, alleging a drone was flown over a pair of pre-tournament training sessions.
Mander and Lombardi were immediately sent home. Priestman initially resigned from coaching the opening game but left the team after allegations of a widespread spying culture.
FIFA then banned the three “from taking part in any activity related to football for a period of one year.”
Canada Soccer announced plans for an independent inquiry on July 24, saying the probe would “address the current state of the matter, and more broadly, will seek to understand the historical culture of competitive ethics across our programs.”
“The results of this review will be shared publicly and corrective action, if necessary, will be taken,” he added.
More than eight weeks later, Canada Soccer is still waiting for information to be released. Priestman, despite being suspended, is still receiving a paycheck.
“Bev Priestman remains a paid member of Canada Soccer's staff pending the conclusion of the review,” Canada Soccer said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
On July 31, Canada Soccer announced that it had appointed Sonia Regenbogen of law firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark to handle the review — “focusing on the actions taken by Canada Soccer representatives related to the incident at the Olympics, and further, any related issues of a historical nature.”
Little is reported
Regenbogen is described as “Canada’s leading expert in conducting independent investigations in the workplace.”
“We will maintain prompt and transparent communication regarding this matter,” Canada Soccer said at the time.
Asked to comment on the status of the review, Canada Soccer did not provide much of a response.
“We appreciate the interest in the progress of this investigation, and we look forward to its conclusions and recommendations. As this is an independent external investigation, we cannot control the timetable.”
However, it said it remained “committed” to the Regenbogen review.
The probe could uncover past cheating incidents. A ruling by the FIFA Appeals Committee put former Canada head coach John Herdman at Ground Zero in Canada Soccer for spying on opposing teams.
The July ruling, which dismissed Canada's appeal of FIFA sanctions imposed on the women's team, said Canada Soccer blamed Herdman.
“Canada is investigating the history of this matter, but we suspect that the practice of using drones began with John Herdman while he was the head coach of the women's national team. In other words, this was a practice that was started by one person, John Herdman, and continued by Bev Priestman,” Canada Soccer said, according to FIFA documents.
Herdman, who said he would cooperate with the review, declined to respond to the allegations publicly, citing the “integrity of the investigation.”
Herdman insisted he did not cheat
But he has reiterated that his record is spotless at the Olympics and World Cup.
“I can clarify again that in the FIFA World Cup, the summit, the Olympics, in the Youth World Cup, those activities have not taken place,” he said in July. “And I have nothing more to say about that.”
Herdman, who is now the head coach of Toronto FC, led the Canadian women's team to two Olympic medals, bronze in 2012 and 2016, and the Women's World Cup in 2011 and 2015. She also led the Canadian men's team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Toronto General Manager Jason Hernandez had little comment this week when asked about the spy investigation, saying he was deferring to “any feelings, thoughts or decisions until the decisions are made and everything comes out.”
Former Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson was also reluctant to comment on the matter, but suggested such spying was “probably” happening across the football world.
“We've seen a lot of things happen over the years that I've played, with people watching and spying on us,” Hutchinson, who played for clubs in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Turkey and won a record 104 caps for Canada, said in an interview.
“I think countries, clubs, they find ways to try to get a bit of an advantage in certain things,” he added.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women's team returns to action on Oct. 25 against third-ranked Spain at the Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
Canada Soccer has not announced who will coach the team. Assistant Andy Spence led the team at the Olympics in Priestman's absence.
Canada made it to the Olympic knockout stages despite being docked six points for a spying scandal that also saw Canada Soccer fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($319,655 U.S.).
Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals by No. 4 Germany on penalties.