"Don't be afraid to solve the problem, don't be silent about it. When something like that happens, don't let him coach again." That's Kristyna Janku, a former 1. FC Slovako player, speaking last month. UEFA finally listened.
Petr Vlachovsky, 42, has received a lifetime ban from all football-related activity after the European governing body confirmed he used a miniature camera hidden in his backpack to record 15 players — the youngest aged just 17 — showering and changing in locker rooms across a four-year period between 2019 and 2023. UEFA cited violations of basic rules of decent conduct and bringing the sport into disrepute under Articles 11(1), 11(2)(b) and (d) of their disciplinary regulations.
UEFA has also called on FIFA to extend the ban worldwide and ordered the Czech Football Association (FACR) to revoke his coaching licence.
A criminal system that fell short
The criminal proceedings against Vlachovsky had already concluded — and they were inadequate. A Czech court handed him a suspended one-year prison sentence, a five-year domestic coaching ban, and found him guilty of possessing child pornography material. He was also ordered to pay 20,000 CZK — roughly $940 — in compensation to 13 of the 15 players he victimised.
Less than a thousand dollars. For four years of abuse.
FIFPRO, the global players' union, was right to push harder. Their legal counsel Barbara Mere Carrion put it plainly in April: "Despite the fact that it's non-contact sexual abuse, it's still sexual abuse. That helps players and everyone be aware of its severity." The framing matters. This wasn't a technicality or a breach of protocol — it was sustained predatory behaviour against players who trusted him.
The FACR couldn't sanction Vlachovsky further after his conviction because he had already left the federation. That's a loophole that needs closing. The Czech players' union, CAFH, submitted proposals for new regulations around sexual abuse and abuse of position in April. The federation didn't respond to requests for comment.
FIFA still hasn't moved
As of UEFA's ruling on Tuesday, FIFA had not yet confirmed whether they will extend the ban globally. Their spokesperson offered the standard line: "FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously." Whether that translates into action — and how quickly — is the question the players who lived through this deserve an answer to.
UEFA's lifetime ban is the right call, four years too late.
