FIFA Extends Worldwide Ban on Former SCR Altach Official for Secret Filming of Women’s Team

On August 4, the FIFA disciplinary committee announced that a former match official and SCR Altach employee, convicted of secretly filming and photographing members of the club’s women’s team, is now subject to a worldwide ban from all football-related activities. The ban follows a regional court ruling in Feldkirch, Austria, that imposed a seven-month suspended prison sentence, a €1,200 fine and €625 compensation per victim for offenses committed between 2018 and 2025 in the team’s changing rooms, gym and showers.

The Guardian

The offender’s conduct involved covert recordings of players, including minors, in private facilities. After the court’s decision, the Austrian players’ union (VdF) and the global players’ union FIFPRO petitioned FIFA to broaden the sanction beyond national borders. FIFA’s extension makes the penalty enforceable by all member associations, preventing the individual from evading consequences by relocating abroad. The case has sparked outrage among former Altach players and broader criticism within Austrian football circles. A separate incident involving Czech coach Petr Vlachovsky, convicted of similar offenses in May 2025, has prompted the Czech players’ union CAFH to call for a lifetime ban, underscoring growing scrutiny of abuse in women’s football.

The Guardian

Christos Papadimitriou, women’s football coordinator at the VdF, emphasized that the worldwide ban “sends an important signal” that violations of players’ rights will be met with universal repercussions. FIFA’s disciplinary committee, acting on the unions’ request, described the extension as a necessary step to protect athletes and uphold the integrity of the sport.

The Guardian

• Offense period: 2018 – 2025

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• Court sentence: seven-month suspended prison term

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• Fine: €1,200

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• Compensation: €625 per victim

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• Ban: worldwide prohibition from all football-related activities, effective immediately on August 4

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• “Anyone who secretly films players in the locker room crosses a clear line. The fact that the ban now applies worldwide sends an important signal: those who seriously violate players’ rights cannot escape the consequences by moving abroad.” — Christos Papadimitriou

The Guardian