Has John Herdman escaped accountability for Canada Soccer's drone-spying scandal?

The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) is no stranger to controversy.

Whether it is player grievances or threatening to compete under protest, ongoing labour disputes, allegations of mishandling an egregious case of abuse, or the dronegate debacle, it all seems so insidious.

That doesn't even include a very intense investigative report by The Globe and Mail that alleges workplace toxicity from former coach Bev Priestman and former assistant coach Jasmine Mander (both were formally terminated after the results of a third-party investigation) complete with intimidation and sex toys.

I don't doubt that the work for those at Canada Soccer has been difficult. I sometimes wonder what Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary, was thinking when he accepted the position last March. I can't think of a time when the only appropriate meme I could think of relating to CSA was one of a dog in a burning house saying "This is fine."

During that time, there have been incredible successes. Under coach Jesse Marsch's leadership, the men's team has never looked more invigorated and exciting. A recent win over Suriname cements they are no longer underdogs but a team to be reckoned with.

Despite an unsettled time for the women in addition to being plagued with injuries, the team earned a draw against Spain — the reigning World Cup champions — and boldly presented Marie-Yasmine (Mimi) Alidou, who was frightfully underutilized (dare I say overlooked?) during Priestman's tenure.

It goes without saying that there are a lot of dedicated people working at CSA to improve the soccer ecosystem in Canada, to grow the game and to re-establish Canada Soccer as a leader in the world as opposed to something to be mocked. The promise of a domestic women's league and opportunities for women to play professionally at home is exciting and much needed.

But before we move on to the possibilities and joyous moments, there is the question about accountability. National Sport Organizations (NSO) in Canada seem to have a problem with that and CSA is no exception.

Even with the terminations of Priestman, Mander, and Joey Lombardi, what of the allegations of toxicity and culture of cheating? Often, when one is fired, they walk away from all the pain and utter disruption and sometimes continue to climb the proverbial ladder.

See former CSA CEO Nick Bontis who, despite leaving CSA in shambles, went on to work with another former CSA executive Victor Montagliani at CONCACAF, a regional division of FIFA.

One person whose proximity to accountability remains a huge question mark is John Herdman, who coached the Canadian women's team with some success before moving on to the men's side. In 2023, he left the national programs to coach Toronto FC in the MLS.

An investigative report from Radio-Canada published earlier this month details the ways in which Herdman and subsequent national program coaches were "obsessed" with getting intel on other teams in order to gain an advantage. We know what the fallout was, and we know how terribly it affected the players.

WATCH | Canada Soccer's 'obsessed' culture of drone spying uncovered by Radio-Canada:

It is likely that Herdman's influence on setting up a toxic culture created a path that his own disciple, Priestman, followed.