Women's coach given lifetime ban for secret filming

A former head coach who secretly filmed women footballers in changing rooms and showers has been banned for life by European football's governing body Uefa.

Petr Vlachovsky was given a suspended one-year prison sentence and five-year coaching ban in the Czech Republic last year after being convicted of filming 14 players over four years.

Following an investigation, Uefa's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) found Vlachovsky to have breached regulations covering insulting or indecent behaviour and bringing football into disrepute.

It has issued a ban "from exercising any football-related activity for life".

Vlachovsky, who coached girls and women at top-tier side 1. FC Slovacko for almost 15 years, was arrested in September 2023 after police discovered the covertly filmed footage online.

The 42-year-old was also found in possession of child sexual abuse material.

The CEDB has asked the sport's global governing body Fifa to make the ban, which prohibits Vlachovsky from taking part in any football-related activity, worldwide.

It has also ordered the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Vlachovsky's coaching licence.

Leading players' union Fifpro reported that players of 1. FC Slovacko only learned they had been secretly filmed after the arrest.

Fifpro - the global representative organisation for professional footballers - said the players were filmed on Vlachovsky's camera hidden in a backpack, and the youngest was aged 17.

Earlier this year, a group of the victims came forward to demand further action, with players telling Czech media publication Seznam Zpravy, external Vlachovsky's crimes had left them afraid to sleep at night and anxious about being in public in case they were being filmed.

Fifpro said it welcomed Uefa's action and added: "This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football."

Vlachovsky had previously led the Czech Republic Under-19s women's team and was once voted the best women's coach in the country.