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Sepp Blatter back at FIFA for appeal against 8-year ban

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 file photo FIFA president Sepp Blatter and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, left, leave after a press conference in Marrakech, Morocco. Former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has been has been banned from all soccer-related activity for 12 years by the governing body's ethics committee, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 file photo FIFA president Sepp Blatter and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, left, leave after a press conference in Marrakech, Morocco. Former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has been has been banned from all soccer-related activity for 12 years by the governing body's ethics committee, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File) FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 file photo FIFA president Sepp Blatter and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, left, leave after a press conference in Marrakech, Morocco. Former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has been has been banned from all soccer-related activity for 12 years by the governing body's ethics committee, Friday Feb. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

ZURICH (AP) – Sepp Blatter is back at FIFA headquarters for an appeal hearing to challenge his eight-year ban for approving a $2 million payment to Michel Platini in 2011.

Blatter arrived early for his scheduled 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) start with the FIFA appeal committee to challenge ethics committee sanctions imposed in December.

Platini had an eight-hour hearing on Monday. He said it focused on a verbal agreement with Blatter to get uncontracted salary for working as a presidential adviser from 1999-2002.

Platini’s long-time friend, tournament organizer Jacques Lambert, was at FIFA to give evidence for a second day.

Platini said verdicts could be given Thursday or Friday.

Blatter and Platini previously said they expected their appeals to fail, then would take their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.