The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) have removed women's football manager Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris Games following an alleged drone spying scandal.
In a statement released early on Friday, the COC said that assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the defending gold medalists for the remainder of the Olympic football tournament.
"Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games," Canada Soccer CEO and General Secretary Kevin Blue said in an emailed statement.
"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."
Canada's camp was thrown into disarray this week after two team staffers were sent home for allegedly using a drone to spy on a New Zealand practice.
Priestman denied any involvement, but "voluntarily withdrew" from her side's match on Thursday in St Etienne - a 2-1 victory - after the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported that a drone had been flown over their training session on Monday.
Jasmine Mander, Priestman's assistant, has been sent home along with "unaccredited analyst" Joseph Lombardi.
Priestman has taken responsibility for the actions of her colleagues after a scouting report filed by Lombardi was sent to Mander.
Following the incident, the 38-year-old said: "I first and foremost want to apologise 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."
Born in County Durham, Priestman had agreed to a contract in January to coach Canada through to the Women's World Cup in 2027.
She was appointed in November 2020 to succeed Kenneth Heiner-Miller, leading Canada to a gold medal at the Olympics in 2021, but was eliminated in the group stage of last year's World Cup.
Priestman spent five years with the Canadian Soccer Association in a variety of coaching roles before returning in June 2018 to England, where she served as coach of the women's U18 and assistant coach with the senior women's team under Phil Neville.
Before that she spent four-and-a-half years as head of football development in New Zealand before leaving in June 2013.
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