Beverly Priestman Resumes Coaching Career with Wellington Phoenix Post-Spying Suspension
Beverly Priestman, the former head coach of Canada's women's team, recommences her coaching career with Wellington Phoenix, following her one-year suspension due to spying allegations.
Ex-head coach of Canada's women's football team, Beverly Priestman, reveals her unease in Canada post her one-year suspension for spying during the 2024 Olympics.
The 39-year-old has been named the head coach of New Zealand's women's football team, Wellington Phoenix, this Wednesday.
This appointment marks Priestman's comeback to football after a 12-month ban imposed by FIFA for her involvement in a spying controversy during the Paris Games last summer.
Priestman, born in England, and two other members of the Canadian staff were suspended after they were found guilty of using a drone to spy on New Zealand's training session before their opening group-stage match.
Priestman was relieved of her coaching duties by Canada Soccer even before the ban, as they discovered evidence of drone usage against rivals before the Olympics.
"Living in Canada felt unsafe," confessed Priestman. "To be brutally honest, it was a challenging time for my family and me."
"The situation attracted intense media scrutiny, with people knocking at our door constantly. We have a young son, and without going into unnecessary details, the situation forced us to leave the country."
In addition to the one-year ban, Priestman received an eight-month suspended prison sentence after admitting to operating a drone in an urban area without the necessary permit.
Despite docking six points as a penalty for the incident, Canada managed to progress from the group stages at the Olympics. They were, however, eliminated by Germany during the quarter-finals via penalties.
Priestman, who was Phil Neville's assistant for two years with England's women's team, had previously led Canada to Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021.
- Football
- Women's Football
Visit our dedicated page for the latest WSL news.
This article was initially covered by BBC Sport.
Beverly Priestman's return to football coaching with Wellington Phoenix marks a new chapter in her career following her controversial one-year suspension due to spying allegations during the 2024 Olympics.
Discover the latest news and current events in Sports News as of 30-07-2025. The article titled " Beverly Priestman Resumes Coaching Career with Wellington Phoenix Post-Spying Suspension " provides you with the most relevant and reliable information in the Sports News field. Each news piece is thoroughly analyzed to deliver valuable insights to our readers.
The information in " Beverly Priestman Resumes Coaching Career with Wellington Phoenix Post-Spying Suspension " helps you make better-informed decisions within the Sports News category. Our news articles are continuously updated and adhere to journalistic standards.