CAS reduces FIFA ban on former World Cup bids' inspector

Lausanne, July 15: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reduced the FIFA ban handed to the former leader of the team that inspected the bids for the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar, from three to two years.

CAS on Friday considered that Harold Mayne-Nicholls, who was also the former president of the Football Federation of Chile, breached some of the articles of FIFA's code of ethics, but not the ones related to offering and accepting gifts and other benefits, reports Efe.

After examining carefully the arguments that led to that sanction, CAS considered that a two-year ban is proper and proportional.

FIFA ethics committee initially handed Mayne-Nichollsm, president of the Football Federation of Chile between 2007-2011, a seven-year ban starting from July 6, 2015 for violating its code of ethics.

However, the FIFA appeal committee reduced, on April 22, 2016, the sanction into a three-year ban, before CAS cut it on Friday to two years, which he has already served.