A senior Canadian team official has been suspended for the duration of the Paris Olympics, as a spying scandal escalates.

Head women’s football coach Bev Priestman was removed on Friday (Australian time) by the Canadian Olympic Committee following her suspension by Canada Soccer over the widening scandal.

The COC said the Canadian women’s squad – who are the reigning Olympic champions – would be led by assistant coach Andy Spence for the remainder of the Games.

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

“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.”

Priestman had already stood down from coaching Canada in Thursday’s opening game against New Zealand after the spy scandal broke out earlier this week.

Canadian assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were sent packing from Paris following complaints from the Kiwi team, the Football Ferns, that their training session at St Etienne on Monday was disrupted by a drone flown by a Canada staff member.

Lombardi was detained by police and then handed an eight-month suspended jail term, with his material was confiscated, a French court said.

A “deeply shocked and disappointed” New Zealand Olympic Committee has lodged a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit and has asked Canada for a full review.

Global soccer’s governing body FIFA has started disciplinary proceedings against Canada Soccer, Priestman, Lombardi and Mander.

Canada, with Spence in charge, defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their opening match.

Priestman, who is married for a former Football Fern and previously worked for NZ Football, has already apologised to the New Zealand players and said ultimate responsibility lay with her.

“This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program,” she said.