Former Canada women’s coach Bev Priestman said Wednesday she “didn’t feel safe” living in North America following her one-year ban for spying at the Paris Olympics.
Wellington Phoenix announced Wednesday that Priestman would take over as head coach of its women’s team, returning to football in the country she was banned for spying on with a drone, New Zealand. She has signed a two-year contract.
The 39-year-old was visibly emotional as she discussed her suspension, and how nervous she is to be returning to the sport.
“I didn’t feel safe,” Priestman said of living in Canada after the Olympics.
“That’s being brutally honest. It was very difficult for my family, and I have to live with that.
“Obviously it was an absolute media frenzy. You’ve got people knocking at your door and everything, and I’ve got a little boy.
“Without going into too much detail, it was very difficult. We knew we had to get out of that country.”
Governing body FIFA banned Priestman for one year after her coaching team used a drone to snoop on New Zealand before they played at the Paris games.
New Zealand had spotted drones flying over their training sessions before their opening match and reported it to officials.
An investigation found the Canadian team had been spying on rival training sessions for some time.
Priestman said she is prevented from speaking about the situation in detail, due to ongoing legal discussions.
But on her return to New Zealand she said she had talked to players and officials.
She said the move to Wellington was an opportunity to “reset” her career, and rebuild.
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