Soccer-UEFA hands lifetime ban to Czech coach who secretly filmed female players

UEFA has issued a lifetime ban ​to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech ​women's soccer coach who secretly ‌filmed ​his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday. Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in ‌May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko's players in changing rooms, the youngest ‌of whom was 17.

In a statement, UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) ‌said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky "from exercising any football-related activity for life" following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct. "The CEDB ⁠further ​decided to request ⁠FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football ⁠Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr. Petr Vlachovsky's coaching licence," the statement ​added.

FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for ⁠comment. Football players' union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA's request for world soccer ⁠governing ​body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.

"This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no ⁠place in football and that safeguarding the wellbeing of players must remain a ⁠priority at every ⁠level of the game," FIFPRO added in a statement. Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women's ‌Under-19s ‌team.

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