December 2 – Implicated in the Canadian drone-spying scandal that has already cost Canadian women’s coach Bev Priestman her job following the Paris Olympics, John Herdman has resigned as coach of Toronto FC, though his resignation has not been directly linked to that scandal.
Herdman is the former head coach of both Canada’s men’s and women’s teams and had been linked to what an independent review found was a “practice of conducting surreptitious surveillance of opponents” in the national programme that pre-dated the Paris Games.
The club announced Friday that Herdman was stepping down after 15 months in charge.
“Personally, I have made the difficult decision that it’s the right time for me to step away from the club, as the organisation defines its vision for the future,” Herdman said in a club-issued statement.
“It has been an honour to wear the Toronto FC crest and contribute to the growth of the club. Working with this dedicated group of players and staff has been a true privilege.”
The 49-year-old had previously managed the New Zealand women’s team but his reputation was tarnished after he was caught up in the investigation into the drone scandal that saw Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi all handed a one-year FIFA ban.
Herdman insisted in the summer that his record was clean.
“I can again clarify that at a FIFA World Cup, pinnacle event, Olympic Games, at a Youth World Cup, those activities have not been undertaken,” he said in July regarding any involvement in spying on opposition teams. “And I’ve got nothing else to say on that matter.”
Herdman stepped down with a 16-6-22 record across all competitions during his first job in club football. No reason for the resignation was given in the four-paragraph release by Toronto who missed out on the MLS playoffs for a second year in succession.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1736031439labto1736031439ofdlr1736031439owedi1736031439sni@w1736031439ahsra1736031439w.wer1736031439dna1736031439