Russia to ask UEFA on separating its team from Kosovo at tournaments' draws

BELGRADE - The Russian Football Union (RFU) plans to submit a request with UEFA asking the organization to separate the country's national team from the Kosovar team during the draw procedures of the European tournaments, RFU President Vitaly Mutko told TASS on Thursday.

UEFA Secretary General Theodor Theodoridis earlier said that the Serbian and some other national football organizations requested UEFA to separate them in different groups with Kosovo during seeding procedures of European tournaments.

"Russia will definitely submit [with UEFA] such request," Mutko, who is also the Russian minister of sports, said in an interview with TASS.

The Football Federation of Kosovo was admitted to UEFA at the organization's Congress on May 3.

The UEFA Congress approved the decision by a 28 majority vote, while 24 UEFA members, including the Russian Football Union,...