FIFA has reduced its ban on ex-Vice President Chung Mong-joon from six to five years.
The world's football governing body announced the decision in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday (local time) following a meeting of its appeals committee.
Last year, Chung, who was a FIFA vice president from 1994 to 2011, was found guilty of infringing FIFA's code of conduct during South Korea's bidding process for hosting the 2022 World Cup, which was eventually awarded to Qatar in 2010. The ban imposed by the adjudicatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee went into effect in October.
But the FIFA Appeal Committee said there isn't enough evidence to confirm Chung breached article 16 of the FIFA Code of Ethics about confidentiality. The committee added the fine imposed on Chung has been reduced from 100,000 Swiss francs to 50,000.
Along with Chung, the committee said former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke's 12-year ban will be reduced to 10. The Frenchman was banned in February over his misconduct in television deals. He was fired by FIFA early this year over a World Cup ticket sales scandal and other financial improprieties.
Chung had been in the running to replace disgraced former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter but ultimately withdrew his candidacy for the Feb. 26 election, which saw former UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino elected.
Last year, Chung was under fire for proposing to create the Global Football Fund during South Korea's bidding, which the FIFA Ethics Committee said "gave the appearance of offering benefits" to certain countries. The 64-year-old claimed he was penalized not for alleged vote trading during the bid but for violating "general obligation to collaborate" and "duty of disclosure," among other vague articles in the FIFA rule book. (Yonhap)
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