FIFA’s disciplinary and appeals committees punished Canada by stripping the team of six points at the Olympics. In addition, soccer’s governing body suspended coach Bev Priestman for one year. Both sanctions were due to the investigation into the Canadian drone spying scandal.

As a result, the Canadians now have three fewer points in Group A of the Olympics. Only one round of this sport has been played so far, and the team beat New Zealand 2-1. The Canadians return to the field this Sunday to face host France.

In addition, the Canadian Federation was fined 200,000 Swiss francs (about 1.2 million reais). The Canadians will still be able to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Analyst Joseph Lombardi, who was piloting the drone, and assistant Jasmine Mander, who he was reporting on, were also banned for one year by FIFA from participating in any type of football-related activity. Both were sent back to Canada.

Coach Bev Priestman was not sidelined for Canada’s first match last Thursday because of the spying crisis. Hours later, the country’s federation announced she would be banned from the remainder of the competition. With FIFA’s decision, she will be barred from working in football for a year. The Canadian team will be led by assistant coach Andy Spence for the remainder of the Olympics.

Remember the spy case?

Earlier this week, the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported to French police that a drone had been spotted flying over the country’s women’s football team’s training grounds. A member of the Canadian technical committee was later identified as the person operating the device. The New Zealand committee then filed a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and asked it to take action.

After that, the Canadian team fired two professionals from its coaching staff, who were arrested by French police. The country’s Olympic Committee sent home analyst Joseph Lombardi, who operated the drone, and his assistant Jasmine Mander, on whom he reported. In addition, FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Canada and the professionals involved in the case.

Last Thursday, the crisis escalated further after a TSN report revealed that spying had been recorded by the country’s men’s and women’s teams during competitions in recent years. There are even records of this at the Tokyo Olympics, when the Canadian team won gold.

Moreover, the director of the Canadian Football Federation, Kevin Blue, revealed that this was not an isolated act. An investigation has been opened into the possible systematic use of drone spying, including in the country’s men’s team. During the last Concacaf men’s football qualifiers, the Honduras team had to stop its training in Toronto, after a drone was seen flying over the premises.