A ruling by the FIFA Appeals Committee places former Canada coach John Herdman at Floor Zero inside Canada Soccer for spying on rival groups.

The ruling, which dismissed a Canadian attraction of FIFA’s sanctions imposed on the Canadian ladies’s staff on the Paris Olympics for utilizing a drone to spy on New Zealand, says Canada Soccer pointed the finger at Herdman on July 27.

“Canada is investigating the historical past of this matter, however we suspect that the observe of utilizing a drone stems again to John Herdman when he was the top coach of the ladies’s nationwide staff. In different phrases, this was a observe began by one particular person — John Herdman — and continued by Bev Priestman,” Canada Soccer stated based on the FIFA doc.

“It was not facilitated by the federation. New Canada Soccer administration is supporting a full unbiased investigation of this problem and has already taken steps to make sure that this scouting tactic doesn’t occur once more”.

Priestman, since despatched house from Paris within the wake of the scandal, was an assistant coach below Herdman.

Herdman took over the ladies’s staff in 2011 and switched to the Canadian males in January 2018. He give up Canada Soccer final August to take over Toronto FC of Main League Soccer.

The FIFA doc, which was forwarded to The Canadian Press, was proven in its entirety Tuesday on its Inside.fifa.com web site. On Wednesday, the doc was redacted to take away the title of Herdman and others.

Chatting with reporters Wednesday, a drawn-looking Herdman didn’t deal with the specifics contained within the FIFA doc, citing the “integrity of the investigation.”

“As a part of that, I will be supporting with as a lot proof as I can supply or help I can supply by that investigation,” he stated. “Till that concludes, I will not be capable to touch upon these issues particularly.”

He stated he would communicate “on all these issues on the proper time. I feel the time is simply not now.”

However he repeated his place first said final Friday that his file was clear on the Olympics and World Cups.

“I can once more make clear that at a FIFA World Cup, pinnacle occasion, Olympic Video games, at a Youth World Cup, these actions haven’t been undertaken,” he stated. “And I’ve obtained nothing else to say on that matter.”

Herdman led the Canadian ladies to 2 Olympics, profitable bronze in 2012 and 2016. He additionally took the Canadian males to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Canada Soccer declined to touch upon the redacted FIFA paperwork.

“The unbiased investigation is presently underway and due to this fact it could be inappropriate to remark additional. When we now have extra to share, we’ll talk it publicly,” Canada Soccer communications officer Paulo Senra stated in an emailed assertion.

On Wednesday, a sports activities arbitration courtroom additionally dismissed Canada’s attraction of a six-point penalty towards the ladies’s staff, as emails from earlier this 12 months launched by soccer’s governing physique seem to point out a Canada Soccer analyst resisted a request from the staff’s head coach to interact in “spying.”

The Court docket of Arbitration for Sport stated its panel of three arbitrators rejected the attraction by Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer to reverse the penalty imposed in relation to a drone spying scandal involving the staff’s teaching employees forward of Canada’s opening sport towards New Zealand.

Herdman stated he was “devastated” for the ladies’s staff.

The eight-ranked Canadian ladies confronted No. 22 Colombia of their last group match Wednesday, needing a win to beat the factors deduction and advance on the Olympic match. The staff posted a 2-1 victory and earned a quarterfinal date with Germany on Saturday.

Herdman may face sanctions himself, if his involvement in previous spying is confirmed.

The FIFA Appeals Committee ruling be aware that its resolution associated solely to “drone incidents” that occurred on the Olympic soccer match.

“Because the chairperson understands it, the CSA (Canadian Soccer Affiliation) is conducting its personal broader investigation into spying,” the ruling stated. “On this respect, the chairperson expects the CSA to offer FIFA with the outcomes of stated investigation to ensure that it to have the ability to assess and resolve whether or not additional motion by the FIFA our bodies is critical and applicable.”

Canada Soccer has been fined greater than $300,000 and three staff employees members — together with Priestman — concerned within the drone incident have been suspended for one 12 months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed July 31, 2025