FIFA has dismissed appeals from Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini against their bans from all football activity. However, the pair have had their bans reduced from eight years to six years by the FIFA appeal committee. The news comes after Platini and Blatters hearings were held in Zurich earlier this month. The two men were banned in December over a disloyal payment of £1.3m between them in 2011, made without a written FIFA contract, when both claimed they had a verbal agreement for FIFA to pay Platini an additional salary for his work as Blatters presidential adviser from 1999-2002. Blatter has had his FIFA ban reduced from eight years to six Blatter was nervous and expecting bad news ahead of the outcome of the FIFA hearings but, while their appeals were rejected, the committee decided that their work in football should deserve appropriate recognition, and denied an attempt by FIFA ethics prosecutors to have the pair banned for life.FIFA also fined Platini 80,000 Swiss Francs (£58,300) and Blatter 50,000 Swiss Francs (£36,400). Blatter intends to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and Platini is expected to follow suit. Platini arrives at FIFA HQ in Zurich for his hearing The 79-year-old said in a statement through his spokesman: I am very disappointed by the appeal committee of FIFA and I will take it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.It means the pair are banned from any football-related activity (administrative, sports or other) at national and international level for a period of six years from October 8, 2015, which means Platini would be eligible to return in time for the Qatar 2022 World Cup he championed. Banned UEFA president Michel Platini was upbeat after his hearing and had hoped he would be back in office for Euro 2016 A statement from FIFA said: The FIFA Appeal Committee, chaired by Larry Mussenden (Bermuda), has partially confirmed the decisions taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee on 17 and 18 December, 2015, regarding Joseph S Blatter and Michel Platini respectively, whose bans have been reduced from eight to six years.Mr Platinis and Mr Blatters appeals are dismissed in respect of infringements of art. 13 (General rules of conduct), art. 15 (Loyalty), art. 19 (Conflict of interests) and art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as established by the adjudicatory chamber. News of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini being banned from all football-related activity for eight years by FIFAs ethics committee The Appeal Committee concurred with the findings of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee in the sense that the evidence available in the present case is not sufficient to establish a breach of article 21 of the FIFA Code of Ethics (Bribery and corruption).Consequently, the appeal lodged by the investigatory chamber for a life ban from all football-related activity was also dismissed.While agreeing with the principles and arguments presented by the adjudicatory chamber in its calculation of the sanction, the Appeal Committee determined that some strong mitigating factors for Mr Platini and Mr Blatter were not taken into account when establishing the sanction. Blatter announcing Russia had won the bid to stage the 2018 World Cup In this sense, amongst others, the Appeal Committee considered that Mr Platinis and Mr Blatters 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.Thus, after carefully analysing and taking into consideration the exceptional mitigating circumstances of the cases, it was determined that a one-year reduction of the five-year ban for a breach of art. 20 of the FCE was proper, and similarly a one-year reduction of the three-year ban for the other breaches was also proper. Also See: Infantino: I will fix FIFA SFA backing for Infantino Champagne only credible option World Cup invite for Blatter, Platini Soccer Jerseys China .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. 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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- After two transfer newcomers help pull No. 4 South Carolina to an opening win, two returning veterans moved into the spotlight to lead the Gamecocks to a 92-38 win over Hampton on Sunday.Alaina Coates scored 28 points and had 16 rebounds and her fellow frontcourt player Aja Wilson added 20 as South Carolina (2-0) used a decided size advantage to breeze past the Pirates (0-4).In the opening win over Ohio State, all-Atlantic Coast Conference transfer Kaela Davis scored 37 points. The former Georgia Tech star had just three on Sunday. But with a solid roster, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley expects a different star most nights.If everybody wants to be in the spotlight -- theres not enough room, Staley said.Allisha Gray, the transfer from North Carolina who Staley calls her silent assassin, had 16 points after debuting for South Carolina with 24 against the Buckeyes.Hampton (0-4) trailed just 21-15 at the end of the first quarter and pulled down one rebound more than the Gamecocks. I thought that was disgraceful, Staley said.So Staley challenged her players to dominate inside. They were helped because two of the Pirates tallest players Kaylah Lupoe and Monnazjea Finney-Smith each ended the first quarter with three fouls. Coates had 14 points in the quarter, while Wilson made all eight of her free throws as South Carolina pulled away with a 32-11 run, outscoring Hampton 18-2 in the paint in the quarter.Theres really nothing you can do. It is what it is with the fouls, Hampton coach David Six said.Coates 28 points were one off her career high, and Wilson made all 14 of her free throws, setting a school record for most makes without a miss.Malia Tate-Defreitas, the reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year the past two seasons, led Hampton with 10 points.BIG PICTUREHampton: Six seemed to acknowledge his teams size disadvantaage from the start, sending 5-foot-5 guard Georgianna Gilbeaux out for the opening tap, which she didnt even try to get against the 6-foot-5 Wilson.dddddddddddd Hampton has played a Power 5 team in each of its first four games, losing by an average of 33 points. The Pirates are trying to win the MEAC for the first time since 2014, when they capped a five-year NCAA Tournament run.South Carolina: All 11 South Carolina players played at least 10 minutes, a nice luxury with three games in three days. The Gamecocks forced 24 turnovers and held Hampton to 24 percent shooting. South Carolinas reserves played almost the entire fourth quarter, holding the Pirates to just four points on 2-of-15 shooting.AILING AJAWilsons 14-of-14 day from the foul line masked another quiet night from the field. The first-team All-American was 3-for-8 from the field against Hampton after going just 1-of-3 struggling with foul trouble at Ohio State.Staley said Wilson is rusty because she spent most of her summer resting her shins, which bothered her at the end of last season, instead of playing basketball.Shes kind of paying for it right now. But she will work things out, Staley said.Others are welcome to shoot as much as they want, Wilson said. If were winning, Aja is happy, the junior said.POLL IMPLICATIONSSouth Carolina could move up from No. 4 on Monday after No. 2 Baylor lost to third-ranked Connecticut. But it is very possible poll voters wont punish the Bears. The Gamecocks arent likely to fall either..UP NEXTHampton: The Pirates take on Saint Peters on Monday in the second game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Womens Challenge.South Carolina: The Gamecocks play Maine on Monday in the second game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Womens Challenge. ' ' '