Fifa ethics committee investigating sexual misconduct claims in Canadian soccer

Fifa has confirmed the investigatory chamber of its ethics committee has launched an investigation into the actions of disgraced former Canada youth national team coach Bob Birarda and allegations of sexual harassment against former Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team coach Hubert Busby Jr.

Fifa is publicly downplaying the investigation, saying the investigatory chamber is “gathering information”. However, the Guardian can confirm Martin Ngoga, a Rwandan politician and lawyer who is chair of the chamber, has labeled the inquiries as “investigation proceedings”.

A Fifa spokesperson told the Guardian that the investigation is only concerned with the actions of the two coaches but according to multiple sources familiar with the proceedings, the scope of the investigation also includes how Canada Soccer and the Vancouver Whitecaps responded to reports from multiple players about the behavior of the two coaches over a number of years.

The investigation was launched in March following a Fifa meeting in Paris that discussed claims of sex abuse by coaches and administrators around the world.

The investigation comes as a former Canada Soccer board member says the organization did not take the Birarda incident seriously when players reported inappropriate behavior in 2008 – or at any subsequent time the issue was raised.

Birarda, the head coach of Canada’s U20 women’s team in 2008, pled guilty in February to one count of sexual exploitation and three counts of sexual assault related to his time as a coach in Vancouver and while coaching national youth teams and the Whitecaps women’s team. Busby was suspended from his role as head coach of the Jamaica women’s national team last year after a report by the Guardian alleged he sexually