Canada Soccer suspends women's head coach Priestman for remainder of Paris Olympics
CBC
Bev Priestman's time at the Paris Olympics ended before the opening ceremony.
Canada Soccer has suspended its women's national team head coach for the remainder of the Games amid a drone spying scandal.
The Canadian Olympic Committee added in a statement released shortly before 1:30 a.m. local time Friday that assistant Andy Spence will lead the defending gold medallists for the remainder of the tournament.
Canada's camp was thrown into disarray this week when two team staffers were sent home for allegedly using a drone to spy on New Zealand's practices.
Priestman denied any involvement, but didn't attend Thursday's 2-1 victory over New Zealand in Saint-Etienne as FIFA — soccer's world governing body — and the International Olympic Committee investigate.
Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue said in the COC release announcing Priestman's removal that "additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."
He added Priestman is suspended from her duties until the end of the tournament — and the completion of the organization's independent external review.
The COC said Wednesday that assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were "sent home immediately" and that it had accepted Priestman's decision to remove herself from coaching the opening match.
Priestman, who took over the Canadian women on Nov. 1, 2020, signed a contract extension through the 2027 Women's World Cup back in January after previously working on a rolling contract.
She held a brief media availability Wednesday with reporters at Stade Auguste Dury after guiding her squad through a one-hour practice.
"My reaction was you feel like this program has let the country down," Priestman said. "That's why I took the proactive step to do what I felt was the right thing. Irrespective of the details, I'm ultimately accountable."
FIFA said its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against all three individuals and Canada Soccer.
Priestman, 38, was an assistant under women's national team head coach and current Toronto FC boss John Herdman. She also worked with Herdman when he led New Zealand's women's program.
No. 8 Canada will meet second-ranked France on Sunday in Saint-Etienne before facing Colombia on Wednesday in Nice.
