John Herdman resigns as head coach of Toronto FC amid drone-spying scandal

By The Canadian Press on November 29, 2024.

Toronto FC head coach John Herdman jogs off the field during halftime of the Canadian Championship final soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Vancouver on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

TORONTO – John Herdman, embroiled in the drone-spying scandal that has dogged Canada Soccer, has resigned as coach of Toronto FC.

Herdman was put in charge of the MLS team in late August after stepping down as coach of the Canadian men’s team.

No reason for the resignation was given in the four-paragraph release by TFC.

The drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics has already cost Canadian women’s head coach Bev Priestman her job in the wake of the recent release of an independent report into the matter.

Canada Soccer has said Priestman will not be returning. Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are currently serving one-year suspensions from FIFA, with Lombardi having already resigned his Canada Soccer position

A FIFA Appeals Committee ruling this summer also put Herdman at Ground Zero within Canada Soccer for spying on rival teams.

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