Priestman previously served as an assistant coach to Phil Neville for the England women’s team before taking charge of the Canada team in October 2020, ahead of the postponed Olympics in Japan.
She “voluntarily” stepped back from her team’s opening match, which ended in a 2-1 win against New Zealand on Thursday. Meanwhile, Jasmine Mander, Priestman’s assistant, along with “unaccredited analyst” Joseph Lombardi, were sent home.
In a statement made on Wednesday, Priestman accepted accountability for her colleagues’ actions after a scouting report submitted by Lombardi was forwarded to Mander.
On Thursday, a French court declared that Lombardi received an eight-month suspended prison sentence for admitting to flying a drone in a city area without the necessary permit.
Blue expressed hope that Fifa, the global governing body of football, would refrain from imposing sanctions on the national team players.
“We hold deep admiration for the commitment and resolve of this group,” he remarked.
“The players have not engaged in any unethical conduct, and we sincerely request that Fifa takes that into account.”
