ZURICH/NYON: FIFA has capitalised in the absence of a transfer window in administrators by luring two senior officials away from European federation UEFA.

Reports in Switzerland claim that the world federation – led by former UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino – has appointed to its own staff the UEFA legal director Alasdair Bell and former managing director for integrity Emilio Garcia.

Bell is becoming FIFA’s deputy secretary general for administration in succession to long-serving Marco Villiger who suddenly left FIFA two weeks ago.

Garcia will become FIFA’s chief legal and integrity officer after six years at UEFA.

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