Outcry demands lifetime ban for Czech coach who secretly filmed female footballers in the locker room

The Czech players’ association has demanded a permanent football ban for a coach who escaped imprisonment after being convicted of covertly recording his female athletes in dressing rooms and showers with a hidden camera.

Petr Vlachovsky was found guilty in May 2025, without a public trial, and received a suspended one‑year jail term together with a five‑year domestic coaching suspension after it emerged that he filmed 14 players at FC Slovácko over four years. He was also discovered possessing child sexual‑abuse material.

Vlachovsky, whose youngest victim at Slovácko was 17, had previously led the Czech under‑19 women’s national team and could be eligible to resume coaching in the Czech Republic as early as 2030. He is not presently prohibited from coaching elsewhere, a situation the global players’ union seeks to alter.

“The Czech players’ union CAFH has been closely backing the athletes since Vlachovsky’s arrest,” Fifpro said in a statement on Tuesday. “Because the Czech criminal proceedings and the Czech FA’s administrative actions are distinct and can run concurrently, the union is urging the FA to impose a lifetime football ban on Vlachovsky and all sexual offenders. Fifpro is examining possible legal routes on behalf of players to secure a worldwide ban.”

Markéta Vochoska Haindlová, CAFH chair and a Fifpro Europe board member, said: “After thorough deliberation and at the players’ request, we made the whole case public. Although the media focus added pressure on the athletes, it also serves to raise awareness of the wider problem of abuse in sport and to work toward preventing its recurrence.”

“The suspended one‑year sentence with a three‑year deferral does not convey the proper message. The five‑year coaching ban – limited to the Czech Republic – is likewise inadequate.”

“The coaching prohibition is where our emphasis must lie, together with Fifpro and other stakeholders. A zero‑tolerance stance is essential to signal unequivocally that such conduct will never be accepted and will be swiftly eliminated.”

“Our aim is to leverage this case to push for a legislative amendment that mandates a lifetime ban for every sexual offender. A one‑strike policy should apply, with a lifetime ban as the sole outcome.”

Fifpro’s statement follows a week after a former official at an Austrian club received a suspended prison term and a €1,200 fine after being convicted of secretly filming and photographing the Altach women’s team in changing rooms, the gym and showers. He was also ordered to pay €625 in compensation to each victim.

As in the Czech Republic, the leniency of the sentence sparked outrage, with former Altach player Eleni Rittmann commenting: “This leaves me speechless. The offender was not only a top‑level referee in Switzerland but also an official at Altach. And that is where he filmed player”.