SEPP BLATTER and Michel Platini had their bans from soccer reduced from eight years to six by FIFA’s appeal body Wednesday, two days before the sport’s ruling body tries to turn the page on years of scandals by electing a new president.

    Blatter and Platini were initially found guilty of wrongdoing by FIFA’s independent ethics committee, which is led by a German judge, over a previously secret 2011 financial transaction.

    Platini, the UEFA president, said not being cleared was an “insulting decision, shameful and a denial of rights” — and announced he will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Blatter, as FIFA president, authorized a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (US$2 million) to Platini, which was found to be unethical and a conflict of interest.

    But following hearings last week, an in-house appeal committee comprising members of federations voting in Friday’s presidential election decided to relax the suspensions.

    Blatter said in a statement that he was “deeply disappointed” with the verdict. Having hoped to be cleared in time to preside over the electoral congress Friday, Blatter might have run out of time for an urgent CAS hearing.

    (SD-Agencies)