International

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has lost his appeal against a six-year ban for ethics violations, imposed amid the biggest corruption scandal to shake the world soccer body, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Monday.

CAS ruled that Blatter had authorized payments to Michel Platini, then the European football boss, worth over $2 million that amounted to "undue gifts" and therefore violated FIFA's code of ethics.

Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, told Reuters in a telephone interview that he was "disappointed but not shattered".