Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini's bans from football were reduced from eight years to six years, by a FIFA appeals committee in Zurich on Thursday. Blatter and Platini's appeal for their bans to be lifted was not upheld. The two were appealing against a ban enforced on them by FIFA last December for their association with a "disloyal payment" of £1.35m, from Blatter to Platini in 2011.

In a press release, FIFA said, "The Appeal Committee considered that Mr Platini’s and Mr Blatter’s activities and the services they had rendered to FIFA, UEFA and football in general over the years should deserve appropriate recognition as a mitigating factor."

FIFA will hold a presidential election on Friday to elect the successor to Blatter.