Overview
- UEFA’s control, ethics and disciplinary body imposed a lifetime ban on Petr Vlachovský, with the ruling announced on Wednesday and a formal request sent to FIFA for a worldwide ban and to the Czech FA to revoke his coaching licence.
- Authorities found that Vlachovský secretly filmed at least 14 players, including a 17‑year‑old, in locker rooms and showers over a period reported as 2019–2023 using hidden cameras placed in personal items.
- Vlachovský was criminally convicted in the Czech Republic in May 2025 and received a one‑year suspended prison term and a five‑year national coaching ban, penalties critics said left a loophole for him to work abroad.
- Players who were filmed have described long‑term psychological harm and heightened fear of being watched, and the global players’ union FIFPRO publicly welcomed UEFA’s lifetime sanction.
- The case now tests cross‑border safeguarding: UEFA’s move aims to prevent any football role for Vlachovský in Europe and to prompt stronger licensing checks and coordinated enforcement across national federations.