Czech coach Petr Vlachovský has been banned for life. © Social Media

Coach films players in shower: Lifetime ban

Czech coach Petr Vlachovský has been banned for life by the European Football Union for abusive behavior.

20 May 2026

From: dpa/sn

UEFA's Control and Ethics Committee also called on FIFA to extend the ban worldwide. Furthermore, UEFA demanded that Vlachovský's coaching license be revoked, a demand addressed to the Czech Football Association.

Vlachovský, who was named the best coach in Czech women's football in 2019 and coached the women's team of 1. FC Slovacko, is alleged to have secretly filmed players in the showers and locker rooms for four years. For this and other allegations, a court last year imposed a five-year coaching ban on him, according to Czech reports. The Slovacko women's team has appealed this ruling.

Reactions to the lifetime ban

Following the UEFA ruling, the players' union Fifpro stated: "This decision sends a strong and necessary signal that abusive and inappropriate behavior has no place in football and that protecting the well-being of female players must be a top priority at all levels of the sport." The union also praised the "courage of the players who spoke out and raised their voices."

The Czech federation also welcomed the decision. President Markéta Vochoska Haindlová told the Czech news agency CTK with: "It sends a clear signal, not only to the sporting community, that such behavior is unacceptable and will be punished very severely."

She was firmly convinced that the punishment sent a clear message to all victims who had ever been confronted with similar practices. Leading sports organizations such as FIFPro, UEFA, and FIFA must protect their players and create a safe environment for everyone who wanted to practice fair play.