Czech players call for lifetime ban for coach in secret filming case

Victims of a former Czech women's football coach are calling for him to receive a global lifetime ban from the sport after he avoided prison for secretly filming players in changing rooms and showers The call is backed by the global players' union, Fifpro

Petr Vlachovsky, a long-time coach at 1. FC Slovacko and a former head coach of the Czech Republic's U-19 women's team, was convicted of filming 14 players over a four-year period He was arrested in September 2023 after police discovered the footage online, and was also found to be in possession of child sexual abuse material According to Fifpro, players only learned they had been filmed after the arrest was made

In May 2023, Vlachovsky was given a one-year suspended prison sentence and a five-year coaching ban applicable only within the Czech Republic A group of victims has recently come forward to demand stronger sanctions, arguing the current punishment is insufficient to protect other athletes The domestic-only nature of the ban has raised concerns that Vlachovsky could potentially coach in another country. Fifpro is supporting the players' call and is challenging the Football Association of the Czech Republic to implement a lifetime football ban for Vlachovsky and all sexual offenders