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Al Jazeera English1 min read
Women’s football coach who secretly filmed players banned for life
TL;DR
Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women's football coach, has been banned for life by UEFA for secretly filming his players. The ban follows a conviction for misconduct, including filming players in changing rooms, with the youngest being 17 years old.
Key points
- Petr Vlachovsky received a lifetime ban from UEFA.
- He secretly filmed players in changing rooms.
- The youngest player filmed was 17 years old.
- Vlachovsky was previously the coach of the Czech women's Under-19 team.
- He confessed to the allegations and expressed regret.
Mentioned in this story
Petr VlachovskyUEFAFIFAFootball Association of the Czech Republic
FC Slovacko
European football’s governing body says it has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s football coach who secretly filmed his players.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following an investigation into 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.
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. According to the indictment cited by the Czech media, Vlachovsky confessed and expressed regret.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19 team.
“This is a deeply serious and distressing matter which came to light in 2023 and had a significant impact on our club, and above all on the players affected,” a spokesperson for FC Slovacko told the Reuters news agency.
“From the moment we became aware of the allegations, the club acted immediately, terminated its cooperation with the former coach, and cooperated with the relevant authorities.
“Throughout this process, the club has regarded itself as an injured party and has treated the matter with the utmost seriousness, sensitivity and respect for those affected.”
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world football 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.
Q&A
What were the allegations against Petr Vlachovsky?
Petr Vlachovsky was accused of secretly filming his players in changing rooms, which led to a lifetime ban from football-related activities.
What was the outcome of the investigation into Vlachovsky?
The investigation resulted in a lifetime ban from UEFA and a request for FIFA to extend the ban globally, along with revocation of his coaching license in the Czech Republic.
What was Vlachovsky's previous coaching experience?
Petr Vlachovsky had previously served as the coach of the Czech women's Under-19 team before the allegations surfaced.
