Chung appeals FIFA ban to CAS

LAUSANNE: South Korean billionaire Chung Mong-Joon has appealed to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport over his five-year ban by world football governing body FIFA, CAS announced on Monday.

"In his appeal to the CAS, Dr Chung seeks the annulment of the decision taken by the FIFA Appeal Committee in which he was suspended from all football-related activities at national and international level for five years," CAS said.

Chung, a former FIFA vice-president and presidential candidate, and a scion of the Hyundai family, was banned by FIFA's ethics committee for contravening lobbying rules over bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

In 2015, the ethics committee hit Chung with a six-year ban, before the appeals committee reduced it to five years last July and cut his fine from 100,000 to 50,000 Swiss francs ($99,680-$49,840), citing insufficient evidence.

Chung claimed FIFA had admitted to failing to find proof for his alleged "vote-trading" and "giving the appearance of offering benefit", and should have dropped the case against him.