Players on a leading Czech women’s football club have revealed they were victims of non-consensual sexual abuse after their former coach was convicted of secretly filming them in locker rooms and showers over a four-year period.
Petr Vlachovsky, a former coach of the Czech Republic women’s under-19 national team and named Czech Women’s Coach of the Year, was arrested in September 2023 after police discovered the footage online. Players at 1. FC Slovácko were unaware they had been secretly filmed until after his arrest. Fourteen players were filmed by Vlachovsky’s hidden camera, concealed in a backpack; the youngest was 17 years old. Vlachovsky was also found to be in possession of child pornography.
Players spoke to the Czech publication Seznam Zpravy after Vlachovsky received a lenient sentence for his crimes: in May 2025, without a public hearing, a criminal court sentenced him to a suspended sentence and a five-year ban from coaching in the country.
“It’s a joke,” said Kristyna Janku, a player for Slovácko at the time of Vlachovsky’s arrest, to Seznam Zpravy. “We all thought the same thing. But the investigator warned me in advance not to expect anything special because of Czech law. Child pornography or sexual abuse are not considered serious crimes.”
Alena Peckova, another former Slovácko player, told Seznam Zpravy: “Wherever I go, whether it’s in a public gym or another environment, a red flag would go up in my head and I would constantly check if there was a camera somewhere. I also started having problems with how I saw my body. I felt kind of disgusted.”
Currently, Vlachovsky could resume coaching in the Czech Republic at the end of 2030, and faces no legal restrictions preventing him from coaching abroad even sooner. The victims were denied the opportunity to attend a public trial and were unable to appeal what the players consider an extremely lenient sentence.
The case centers around former 1. FC Slovácko coach Petr Vlachovsky, who was found to have secretly filmed players in locker rooms and showers for four years. The shocking revelations have sparked outrage and renewed calls for stronger protections for athletes.
Vlachovsky was arrested in September 2023 after police discovered the recordings online. Investigators found 28 recordings on his computer, capturing 14 players, including one who was 17 years old. Authorities also discovered nine child pornography images on his computer that had been shared with another user on the Amatéri.com website.
Players were unaware they were being filmed until after Vlachovsky’s arrest, discovering the coach had concealed a miniature camera in his backpack. The ordeal has left lasting emotional scars, with some players reporting anxiety, sleep disturbances, and feelings of disgust, according to Seznam Zpravy.
In May 2025, Vlachovsky received a one-year suspended sentence and a five-year coaching ban, a decision players have criticized as insufficient. The lack of a public hearing and the inability to appeal the sentence have further fueled their frustration.
“We all thought the same thing: ‘This is a joke,’” Janku said. “But the investigator warned me in advance not to expect anything special because of Czech law.”
The Czech Football Association (CAFH) has been actively supporting the players since Vlachovsky’s arrest, providing legal representation and access to mental health resources. The players, with the support of FIFPRO, are now pushing for a lifetime ban for Vlachovsky and stricter regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
FIFPRO spoke with Marketa Vochoska Haindlova, CAFH President and FIFPRO Europe board member, about the union’s efforts to secure stronger safeguards and disciplinary measures against Vlachovsky.
How are the players doing, and how has the union supported them?
“We are in regular contact with the players to ensure their needs are adequately addressed. With recent media attention on the case, we are vigilant and continue to provide support. We have secured legal representation to represent the victims in the criminal proceedings and offered players access to our mental health and counseling program, managed by experienced professionals.”
“After careful consideration and under the direction of the players, we made the case public. While the media attention has put additional pressure on the players, it’s also an essential step in raising awareness about the broader issue of abuse in sport and efforts to prevent it from happening again.”
Why was the sentence handed down to the coach not more severe, given the gravity of the offenses?
The sentence corresponds to the indictment recommended by the public prosecutor. The court simply confirmed this proposal. A one-year suspended sentence with a three-year probation period does not send the right signal. The five-year coaching ban – applicable only in the Czech Republic – is also insufficient.
“I think we should focus on the training ban, in cooperation with FIFPRO and other stakeholders. There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy to send a clear signal that this type of behavior will never be tolerated and will be eradicated quickly.”
Can you explain how Czech law limits the ability of victims to appeal criminal decisions?
The difference lies in whether the decision is made during a main hearing or by what is called a penal order. If the decision is made during a hearing in court, the victims or their representatives can appeal. However, in the case of a penal order, which the court can issue in cases where the guilt of the perpetrator and other circumstances of the case have already been irrefutably proven during the preliminary proceedings, victims cannot appeal, and only the accused or the prosecutor can lodge an appeal. Neither of them did so, although the legal representative of the players requested the prosecutor in writing to lodge an appeal. Unfortunately, there was no response.
Will you push for harsher penalties?
Yes, both tightening the penalties and the issue of the right of appeal against penal orders for victims are issues we want to highlight. At the same time, amending the criminal code requires a legislative change and, a lengthy implementation in jurisprudence. Modifying the disciplinary code of the Czech Football Association, can be implemented quickly and, if applied in time, can send the right signal to victims and the wider community – that such behavior will end with a definitive sanction and that offenders will be excluded from the world of football indefinitely.
What safeguards are currently in place by the club and federation following this incident, and are they sufficient?
To my knowledge, no specific measures have been introduced in a binding manner. This is a lesson for the club for the future, as its representatives stated that the coach was someone they had known for a long time and did not expect such behavior from him, but I am not sure they have taken specific steps. As for the Czech Football Association, no specific measures have been taken either, but I think this will change under public pressure.
What safeguards would you recommend be put in place immediately to prevent this from happening again?
First, strengthen the conditions for granting and maintaining coach licenses – especially for those working with boys, youth, and female players – with continuous training and psychological checks. Second, amend the disciplinary regulations of the Czech Football Association, where there is no definition of a disciplinary offense based on sexual grounds. Third, the introduction of safeguarding officers at the level of the Czech Football Association to ensure the protection of potential victims throughout the organization and a protocol for each club to prevent and act in cases of harassment and abuse. I think we will succeed in reaching an agreement with them on this point and concrete measures will be taken to implement it.
