By Lori Ewing
PARIS (Reuters) -Suspended Canadian women's soccer coach Bev Priestman apologised on Sunday to her players and the nation for the drone scandal that led to her exit from the Paris Olympics and dealt a blow to the team's hopes of a repeat gold medal.
In her first public comments since Canada Soccer suspended her from the Games, Priestman said as the leader of the team she accepts accountability and plans to fully cooperate with the investigation.
"I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologise from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them," Priestman said in a statement released by her lawyers.
"To Canada, I am sorry. You have been my home and a country I have fallen in love with. I hope you will continue to support these extremely talented and hardworking players, to help them defy all odds and show their true character."
Earlier on Sunday, Sport Canada said it was withholding funding allocated for salaries of Priestman and two other suspended team officials, calling the drone scandal that has rocked the Paris Olympic soccer tournament an embarrassment to all Canadians.
Canada's team were docked six points, while Priestman and officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander were banned from any soccer-related activity for one year by FIFA.
"Using a drone to surveil another team during a closed practice is cheating," Canada's sport minister Carla Qualtrough said in a statement.
"It is completely unfair to Canadian players and to opposing teams. It undermines the integrity of the game itself.
"Given that the Women's Program receives funding from Sport Canada, we are withholding funding relating to suspended Canada Soccer officials for the duration of their FIFA sanction."
Sport Canada is in the process of determining the exact amount of funding to be withheld, the Minister's office told Reuters in a statement, adding the withheld funding will not impact the overall available funding to the women's program.
"There is a deeply concerning pattern of behaviour at Canada Soccer." the statement said. "We must, and will, get to the bottom of this. This issue has caused significant distraction and embarrassment for Team Canada and all Canadians here in Paris and at home."
Canada Soccer has said it was exploring how it could appeal the six-point penalty imposed by FIFA, which left Canada on minus three points in Group A with two matches left to play.
They are scheduled to face France later on Sunday.
Former Canada players are supporting the team.
"Furious. Fuming. Sad. Heartbroken. These players don’t deserve this," former goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, who helped Canada win gold in Tokyo, posted on X.
"They've been let down by so many of their own people, not just NT (national team) staff."
Diana Matheson, who retired in 2020 after 206 appearances for the Canada, gave her full support to the team.
"I stand with the players. I'm with you. Canadians are with you. Last game, next game, all the games, we are right there with you," she said.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Additional reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Rutherford, Ken Ferris and Ed Osmond)
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