LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter arrived for a marathon appeal hearing against a six-year ban from football on Thursday, pledging to accept the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for SportI do hope it will be positive for me, Blatter, sporting a light gray beard, told reporters at around 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) ahead of a closed-door hearing expected to last several hours. He left almost 15 hours later.It was a long day because the cross examination of the witnesses we have brought, the 80-year-old Blatter said as he left the court. It was specially a long day for me because I was the central person.Blatter declined to speculate on the verdict which is expected within several weeks. He could challenge it in a further appeal to Switzerlands supreme court.He denies wrongdoing in authorizing a $2 million payment to former FIFA vice president Michel Platini in 2011. They claimed it was for backdated and uncontracted salary for work Platini did in advising Blatter from 1999 to 2002.The so-called disloyal payment led Blatter to be put under investigation for criminal mismanagement by Swiss federal prosecutors last September. That investigation is ongoing.FIFAs ethics committee judged the $2 million deal was a conflict of interest and initially banned Blatter and Platini for eight years last December. FIFAs appeal committee cut both bans to six years.Platinis appeal to CAS was already judged in May, when Blatter appeared in person as a witness. Platini promised a further appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal after his ban was only cut from six to four years.Platini arrived for Blatters hearing around midday local time to be a witness and left four hours later.I say again the truth and I hope that this time they will listen to us, but I doubt it anyway, Platini said in French.The judging panel in Platinis case noted the absence of any repentance from the former France great.The three-member panel for Blatters case is expected to respect the verdict of the separate panel which judged Platini.Blatters comments Thursday suggest he would not pursue a federal case. Federal judges can intervene only if legal process is abused.We are football players, we learned to win but also we learned to lose and it will not be the end of the world, Blatter said outside CAS.A failure to overturn the ban for Blatter would likely end his hope to one day be named FIFA honorary president by its 211 member federations.The case already ended Platinis chance to replace Blatter as FIFA president, and also forced him out of European governing body UEFA.On Sept. 14, UEFA members will elect a successor to replace Platini who had a mandate through March 2019. By imposing a four-year ban, the CAS panel ensured UEFA had to replace Platini, rather than wait for him to return.The disloyal payment emerged last year when Platini was strongly favored to win the election to replace Blatter, who had announced his departure plans after 17 years as president amid pressure from American and Swiss federal investigations of corruption implicating senior FIFA officials.Both men were questioned at FIFA headquarters last September by Swiss investigators who were waiting for them outside an executive committee meeting.During the turmoil in world football, Platinis right-hand man at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, submitted an election candidacy on the entry deadline day and won the vote in February.Arriving at the hearing with his Zurich-based lawyer Lorenz Erni, Blatter said he hoped the CAS panel will understand that the payment made to Platini was really a debt that we had against him.This is a principle, if you have debts you pay them, Blatter said. 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Perth Glory have stymied Melbourne Victorys attempts to jump back to second on the A-League table, holding on to a 1-1 draw at AAMI Park on Friday night.Victory created a hatful of chances and on another night might have won in a canter.But their star-studded forward line couldnt find a second goal after Besart Berisha cancelled out Andy Keoghs record-setting opener in front of 16,017 fans.Marco Rojas, Besart Berisha, James Troisi, Fahid Ben Khalfallah and substitute Jai Ingham all missed golden opportunities to win it for Victory.The shot tally of 22-4 said it all.Between Rojas first-half strike, which Liam Reddy tipped onto the post, and Troisis late volley onto the woodwork, this was a tale of woe for Victory.Ben Khalfallahs misses were particularly glaring, putting two chances the wrong side of both posts within five minutes.Kevin Muscats side even had the ball in the back of Glorys net three times but for off-sides.But Glory held on for an away point, making it seven matches without defeat against Victory.Keoghs milestone goal on 17 minutes put them on their way.Chris Harold, released on the right by Nebo Marinkovic, sped away from Leigh Broxham and cut back for Keogh.The Irishman unleashed a powerful first-time strike which beat Lawrence Thomas at the back post for his seventh goal of the season - making him Glorys all-time leading scorer in the A-League era.Vicctorys assault on Glorys goal then began.dddddddddddd.Rojas right foot curler looked destined to nestle inside the back post, only for Reddy to get a glove to the ball and tip it onto the woodwork.But the Kiwi would continue his streak of scoring or assisting in every match this season, finding Berisha in the box after Perth defender Dino Djulbic blundered.Djulbic should have cleared with ease but took an air swing, allowing Berisha to compose himself from six yards out and bury a volley past Reddy.Perth coach Kenny Lowe was gracious after the match, declaring Victory deserved three points.They had enough chances to win three games, he said.But youve got to give us some credit for being courageous.Muscat said Victory battered them from pillar to post.Right now, tonight, and possibly tomorrow morning Ill be disappointed, he said.Once I sit down and analyse that without the emotion therell be so much good to come out of it.Its disappointing but itd be far more disappointing if we didnt create those opportunities.The frustration at AAMI Park wasnt just contained to Victorys players and coaches.Concerningly, one fan decided to throw a full water bottle onto the pitch in the direction of Brandon Wilson as he hobbled off for a late substitution. 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