The coach of the Canadian women's soccer team has been suspended due to a drone scandal, which could potentially be linked to broader systemic problems.

Canada's women's soccer coach, Bev Priestman, has been temporarily suspended and removed from the team participating in the upcoming Paris Olympics due to an ongoing investigation into a drone-spying scandal. 

Kevin Blue, the CEO and General Secretary of Canada Soccer, has confirmed that the players on the Canadian women's team are not implicated in any unethical behavior related to the Paris Games. The decision regarding Priestman's future with the team will be determined based on the outcome of a thorough review of the matter.

“Upon gathering more information from that review, that will be an additional opportunity to see what steps additionally need to be taken, if any,” Blue said.

Earlier today, David Shoemaker, the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, informed journalists in Paris that Priestman was likely aware of the drone surveillance of New Zealand's training sessions in France. Priestman has denied this allegation.

Additionally, Blue reported an incident involving the men's national team during the Copa America. He clarified that, to his knowledge, it did not affect the match's competitive integrity but declined to provide further details.

When asked if men's coach Jesse Marsch was aware of potential drone usage at that tournament in the United States, Blue confirmed that he became aware of it after the fact.

The reigning Olympic champion, Canada, emerged victorious with a 2-1 triumph over New Zealand in their opening match of the Olympics in Saint-Etienne on Thursday. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Coach Priestman made the decision to temporarily step aside for the match, entrusting the leadership of the team to interim coach Andy Spence.

Regrettably, in the aftermath of the match, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) made the difficult decision to remove Coach Priestman from her position for the remainder of the tournament.

This development comes amidst a challenging week for the Canadian camp, as two team staff members were repatriated due to allegations of using a drone to observe a New Zealand practice session.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are currently conducting an investigation into the recent incident. Canada Soccer has also announced that it will be conducting an internal review of the matter.

According to Blue, the federation met with the players this morning. Canada's next match is against France on Sunday, which will also be held in Saint-Etienne.

Blue also mentioned that new information came to light after the match on Thursday night.

“They gave me reasons to think further about the potential that this behavior was systemic,” Blue said.

The COC announced earlier this week that assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were dismissed from their positions due to their involvement in the drone surveillance incident.

Priestman held a brief press conference on Wednesday after leading her team through a one-hour practice session..

“My reaction was you feel like this program has let the country down,” the 38-year-old 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.”

Bev Priestman, the current head coach of Canada's women's national soccer team, had previously agreed to a contract extension in late January that would have seen her remain in her role through the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Priestman, who assumed the position in 2020, successfully led the team to a gold medal at the 2021 Olympic Games. However, Canada's performance at the 2023 Women's World Cup was disappointing, as they were eliminated during the group stage. Throughout her tenure, Priestman has accumulated an impressive record of 28 wins, 9 losses, and 10 draws.

Prior to her current role, Priestman held various coaching positions within the Canadian Soccer Association for a period of five years. In June 2018, she returned to her native England, where she served as the coach of the women's under-18 team and as an assistant coach with the senior women's team. Before that, she spent approximately four and a half years in New Zealand as the head of football development, departing from that role in June 201.