The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced Friday that it has fired women’s soccer head coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Olympic Games following an alleged drone spying scandal.
Assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the team at the tournament in Paris, the COC said in a statement.
Two members of the team have already been suspended over allegations of using a drone to spy on training sessions in New Zealand.
Priestman has denied involvement but did not watch Thursday’s 2-1 win over New Zealand as world soccer governing body FIFA and the International Olympic Committee investigate.
“Additional information has come to our attention regarding the previous use of drones against opponents prior to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” the Canadian Soccer Federation general secretary was quoted as saying in the statement.
Kevin Blue added that Priestman has been suspended until the tournament is over and the investigation is complete.
The COC said Wednesday that assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were “immediately sent home” and that it had accepted Priestman’s decision to step down as Game 1 coach.
Priestman gave a brief interview to the press that day after leading the team through an hour-long practice.
“Regardless of the details, ultimately I am responsible,” said the 38-year-old British coach.
Canada won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under Priestman’s leadership.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal

I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.