Canada Soccer announced Thursday that Bev Priestman, the head coach of the women’s national team, has been suspended for the rest of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Getty Images
Canada's women's soccer team faces a major shake-up as head coach Bev Priestman has been suspended due to allegations involving a drone during the Paris Olympics. Priestman, who led the Canadian team to gold in Tokyo, will not be on the sidelines as the team competes for back-to-back Olympic titles. The Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Thursday that assistant coach Andy Spence will take over coaching duties for the remainder of the tournament.
The controversy began when the New Zealand team reported seeing a drone overhead during a practice session in Saint-Étienne. French authorities detained a Canadian support staff member suspected of operating the drone. This incident prompted a swift response from the Canadian Olympic Committee, which expressed its shock and disappointment. They issued an apology to both New Zealand Football and the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Following this, the Canadian organization revealed another drone incident involving the New Zealand team. In response, they sent home Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander. They also announced that Canada Soccer would undergo mandatory ethics training.
Evelyne Viens and Jordyn Huitema of Canada celebrate their team's win over New Zealand in their Group A match at the Olympic Games in Saint-Étienne, France, on Thursday. Getty Images
Priestman had previously apologized for the incident and stepped aside from Canada’s match against New Zealand. She stated that her decision to step away was to highlight the team’s dedication to fair play and integrity. Despite the upheaval, Canada won the match 2-1.
On Friday morning, the Canadian Olympic Committee made the decision to extend Priestman’s suspension for the rest of the Games after discovering additional details about previous instances of drone use against opponents. Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer's CEO, confirmed the suspension, noting that the new information revealed issues that predated the Paris Games.
Priestman, who had committed to coaching Canada through the 2027 Women's World Cup, first joined the team in November 2020 and was instrumental in their Tokyo gold medal win. Her suspension marks a significant disruption for the Canadian team as they aim to defend their Olympic title.
