Blatter vows to accept final verdict on six-year FIFA ban

Johannesburg, Aug. 25 (ANI): Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has pledged to accept the verdict as he made his final appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his six-year ban from all football-related activities. While insisting that ups and downs are part and parcel of life, the 80-year-old said he hopes to see the ruling in his favour, Sport24 reported. Former UEFA president Michel Platini, along with Blatter, initially received a ban of eight years in last December over claims that he had received a ' disloyal payment ' of 1.35 million pounds from the former FIFA president in 2011. Both Platini and Blatter, however, refused all allegations levelled against them and had their bans reduced to six years by FIFA's Appeal Committee in February. In May, the Lausanne-based court rejected the appeal filed by Platini to lift his six-year suspension, saying the payment was 'unfair' and a 'conflict of interests'. The CAS, however, cut the suspension to four years and reduced Platini's fine from 80,000 Swiss francs to 60,000 Swiss francs. (ANI)