Canada Women’s Soccer Coach Brev Priestman Suspended From Paris Olympics 2024 Following A Drone Crime

The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed and suspended Brev Priestman, the Canadian women’s national soccer team coach as the fallout continued after a drone was flown over New Zealand’s training session. 

Who is Brev Priestman?

Brev Priestman was born on 29 April 1986 in Consett, England. She is an English professional football manager and former coach of the Canada Women’s National team. Priestman started her career with Canada women’s Under-17s in 2013 before progressing through to the Under-20 side. 

She spent two years with England and then returned to Canada to take over as manager where she led them to Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, her success in management was followed by a defeat in  World Cup 2023 after Canada failed to progress from the group stage. Additionally, Priestman is married to a former midfielder with the New Zealand football team Emma Humphries, and in 2018 gave birth to a son named Jack. 

Priestman’s suspension over unlawful activity

Priestman had been suspended from her side’s opening 2-0 victory over the Kiwis while her assistant Jasmine Mander was sent home along with “unaccredited analyst” Joseph Lombardi. In a crime of flying a drone in an urban area without a license, Joseph Lombardi was handed an eight-month suspended jail sentence. 

After Priestman’s suspension, she said “I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for.I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.”

Statement by Kevin Blue

Canada Soccer CEO and general, Kevin Blue said “Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games”

“In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend women’s national soccer 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,” he further stated.