Canada Soccer, COC officially appeal points deduction

PARIS — The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer are appealing FIFA's six-point penalty to the national women's soccer team in the wake of a spying scandal at the Paris Games.

FIFA docked the points on Saturday as part of a punishment that included a fine for Canada Soccer and the suspension of three coaching staff members for one year.

A team analyst was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand’s practices before the start of competition.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s special Olympic court in Paris confirmed today that it had received the appeal, officially kicking off the process.

"The appeal is based on the disproportionality of the sanction, which we believe unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand," the COC said in a statement.

A closed-door hearing before a panel of three judges will likely be held Tuesday with a ruling expected Wednesday, before Canada's final group stage game against Colombia in Nice.

Canada opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over New Zealand before pulling out a stunning 2-1 victory over France after scoring late in injury time.

The six-point deduction wiped out all points gained in those wins, but the victory over the host side ensured the defending champion Canadians still have a chance of reaching the knockout stage.

Canada could still advance to the quarterfinals in the 12-team tournament even with a loss in court and win on the field Wednesday. Two third-place teams in the three groups will go to the knockout stage.

Priestman, who coached the team since 2020, has apologized and said she is “absolutely heartbroken for the players.”

The 38-year-old Priestman could yet appeal to CAS against her FIFA ban as an individual.

With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.