Former

  UEFA has issued a lifetime ban from all football-related activity to former coach Petr Vlachovsky after finding him guilty of secretly filming women footballers in changing rooms and showers. UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body ruled that Vlachovsky had breached regulations relating to insulting and indecent behaviour, as well as bringing the game into disrepute. The decision follows criminal proceedings in the Czech Republic, where he had already received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year coaching ban. Announcing the ruling on Tuesday, UEFA confirmed the severity of the sanction. “The individual is banned from exercising any football-related activity for life,” the disciplinary body stated. Authorities said the case involved covert recordings of players over a period of four years while Vlachovsky was coaching women and girls at top-tier club 1. FC Slovácko. He was arrested in September 2023 after police discovered the footage online, and investigators also found material linked to child sexual abuse offences. The global players’ union FIFPRO said players only learned what had happened after his arrest. A spokesperson described how the recordings were hidden, saying, “The players were filmed using a camera concealed in a backpack, and the youngest was aged 17.” The emotional impact on victims has been severe. Some players later told Czech media that the experience left them deeply traumatised. UEFA has also formally requested that world football’s governing body, FIFA, extend the ban worldwide and instructed the Czech Football Association to revoke Vlachovsky’s coaching licence. Vlachovsky, once regarded as a leading figure in Czech women’s football and a former coach of the Czech Republic U-19 women’s team, has now been permanently removed from the sport following the findings.