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By Barry Guy of RNZ

Excitement is the overwhelming emotion that football coach Bev Priestman is feeling after 15 months out of the game.

Priestman was at the centre of the drone scandal which rocked last year’s Paris Olympics. She is now set to lead the Wellington Phoenix women in their opening A-League game against Canberra United in Wellington on Saturday.

“Where I was a year ago, it was a really dark place ... I’ve been counting down,” Priestman said on the eve of the game.

Priestman was last in charge when Canada completed their preparations for the Paris Olympics.

She voluntarily stood down for their opening Olympic group game against New Zealand after Canada were caught flying a drone to spy on a Football Ferns training. A few days later she was removed and suspended by Canada Soccer.

She was subsequently banned for a year by Fifa because of “offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play”.

Canada's coach Beverly Priestman on the sideline at the World Cup in 2023. Photo /Photosport

During her time away from the game, Priestman and her family moved back to New Zealand saying she didn’t feel safe in Canada.

Soon after the ban lapsed, she was confirmed as Phoenix women’s coach on a two-year deal and she’s pulled together an impressive roster.

“I just feel really grateful, proud and privileged to lead this team and I’m super excited for the day.”

Priestman said it had been a while since she had coached in a championship competition, having spent most of her managerial career on the international stage involved in tournaments or one-off games.

She also bought a house in Wellington last week and said her build-up to the side’s season opener had marked some major life changes.

“I’m sitting in my house looking out over Whitby and you look at your phone from a year ago and think wow how life can change.

“But it is just a game of football and I feel very grateful and I want to squeeze everything I can out of this group, out of myself and really make a push to make this city proud.”

Priestman said there had been nerves this week but no more than the build-up to previous campaigns she’s been involved with.

“There’s pressure, there always is as a coach but for me I just want to do the best I can for the club and these players.”

Priestman said she had plenty of support from around the world, including from Emily Husband, who coached the Central Coast Mariners to the A-League title earlier this year.

“Football is a small world and I think people are just excited to see me back in the game.”

Priestman had previously worked as head of football with New Zealand Football and mentored current Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne.

In total she has coached at four Fifa Women’s World Cups, three Olympic Games and three Fifa youth world cups.

She’s twice been shortlisted for the best Fifa women’s coach award and holds the world’s most prestigious coaching qualification, the Uefa pro licence.

Priestman headed up coach development in Wellington 16 years ago. She then went on to become NZ Football’s director of football development and played a pivotal role in the award-winning Whole of Football Plan.

The Phoenix women host Canberra at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 4pm.

– RNZ