I will accept CAS verdict, says ex-FIFA chief Blatter

Sepp Blatter, former President of FIFA, the world football governing body, on Thursday said he will accept the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after beginning his appeal against a six-year ban.

"I will accept the verdict," said the 80-year-old Blatter outside the CAS headquarters here, reports Xinhua.

"I do hope it will be positive for me, but we are footballers. We learn to win but also we learn to lose," he added.

In 2011, Blatter approved a two million Swiss franc payment ($1.03 million) to then former European football governing body UEFA's President Michel Platini as "fee for consultancy work".

Swiss prosecutors last September said they were investigating Blatter over the payment.

FIFA later considered the payment "a conflict of interest", thus banned Blatter and Platini for six years in February.

--IANS

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