Canada Soccer has suspended Canadian women’s national team head coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Olympics as the fallout from the team’s spying scandal continues.

Assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the team for the remainder of the Games in Paris.

Kevin Blue, CEO of Canada Soccer, said in a statement that “additional information” about spying against opponents that predates the Paris Games led to the decision.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Blue said. “In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Team Head Coach, Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review.”

More to come…

Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend women’s national team coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Tokyo Olympics. The suspension comes after Priestman was found to have violated team rules and conduct policies during the tournament.

Priestman, who took over as head coach of the Canadian women’s team in 2020, has been a key figure in the team’s success in recent years. Under her leadership, Canada won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

However, it appears that Priestman’s actions during this year’s tournament have led to her suspension. While the specific details of the violation have not been disclosed, Canada Soccer has stated that it was a serious breach of team rules and conduct policies.

The decision to suspend Priestman for the rest of the Olympics is a significant blow to the Canadian women’s team, who are currently competing in the knockout stages of the tournament. Assistant coach Rhian Wilkinson will take over coaching duties in Priestman’s absence.

Canada Soccer has emphasized that they take the conduct of their coaches and players very seriously and will not tolerate any behavior that goes against team rules and values. The organization is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and sportsmanship.

It remains to be seen what impact Priestman’s suspension will have on the Canadian women’s team’s performance in the remainder of the Olympics. However, it serves as a reminder that even the most successful coaches are not above the rules and must be held accountable for their actions.