ZURICH: Chung Mong-joon’s hopes of contesting the forthcoming election for a new president of world football federation FIFA are fading fast writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Two weeks ago the 61-year-old former president of the South Korean federation was banned from all football for six years following inquiries by the FIFA ethics committee into the 2018-2022 World Cup bid process.

Chung, being technically outside football and thus not restricted by its prohibition on recourse to the civil courts, appealed to the Zurich District Court for his ban to be lifted pending appeals and so he could submit a presidency nomination by next Monday’s deadline.

However the court ruled that there did not appear to be any indication of a defective procedure on the part of the Ethics Committee, nor was there any infringement of personality rights.

Furthermore, as the committee did not issue a reasoned decision, the request cannot be upheld on procedural grounds.

A FIFA spokesman said the world governing body “noted [the decision] with satisfaction” while conceding that Chung might still take his complaint to the Zurich High Court.

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