Fifa president Gianni Infantino has admitted that the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to uphold Michel Platini’s ban from football was “very sad” for him.

Platini had hoped sport’s highest court would overturn his six-year ban from football but the the Swiss body only reduced it to four years, effectively ending his career in football administration and promnpting him to resign as president of Uefa.

But Infantino, who was in Mexico City for his first Fifa Council meeting, says that despite his sadness and friendship with Platini, he accepts the verdict.

Infantino said: “As president, I respect the decision of CAS, no doubt about that. On a personal level, of course, I’m very sad about the decision.

“I’ve followed Michel for nine years at Uefa, seven as general secretary.

“As UEFA president, he and I did some great things together and, at this moment, I really want to focus on those positive memories.”

Infantino only agreed to run for the Fifa presidency because Platini’s ban left Uefa without a candidate.

Platini and Blatter, his former mentor, were initially given eight-year bans by a Fifa ethics committee in December over a £1.3m payment the latter paid the France icon in 2011.

But the bans were reduced to six years by a Fifa appeals panel in February.

The pair have always denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the payment for work carried out by Platini on behalf of Blatter, was delayed because the organisation could not originally afford the fee when the work was done in 2002.

But the three-man CAS panel noted the payment was made shortly before the 2011 Fifa presidential election that saw Blatter installed for a fourth term.