Czech Football Coach Banned for Life for Secretly Filming Players

Czech Republic women's football club coach Petr Vlachovský has been banned for life on charges of secretly filming his players in the changing room.

According to Reuters, the European football governing body UEFA has banned Vlachovský for life. UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) issued a statement on Tuesday stating that following an investigation into alleged misconduct, Vlachovský was decided to be "banned from participating in any football-related activity for life".

"The CEDB has also decided to request FIFA to implement this ban worldwide and to instruct the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Petr Vlachovský's coaching license." the statement added.

According to Czech media, coach Vlachovský was found guilty in May 2025. He secretly filmed players of FC Slovácko club in the changing room, the youngest of whom was 17 years old. He was initially given a one-year jail sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban. According to the indictment, he admitted his guilt and expressed remorse.

Vlachovský had previously served as the coach of the Czech women's U-19 team. FC Slovácko's spokesperson told Reuters, "This is an extremely serious and painful issue, which became public in 2023 and had a great impact on our club and especially the affected players."

He added, "As soon as we were informed about the allegations, the club took immediate action, ending cooperation with the former coach."

"Throughout this entire process, the club has considered itself a victim and has handled the incident with utmost seriousness, sensitivity, and respect for the affected individuals."

The international players' union FIFPRO has also welcomed the ban. It also viewed UEFA's request to FIFA to implement a worldwide ban as a positive step.

FIFPRO stated in its statement, "This decision sends a strong and much-needed message that there is no place for abuse and inappropriate behavior in football. It also clarifies that players' safety and interests must be prioritized at every level of the game."