LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The Serbian football federation has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Kosovo being accepted as a member of UEFA. CAS said it will hear the case on Oct. 31. In May, UEFA member federations voted 28-24 in favor of Kosovo's application after Serbia led the opposition to its former province. The then-president of Serbia's federation, Tomislav Karadzic, said it was a "political vote, not a footballing proposal." The UEFA decision allowed Kosovo to join FIFA the next week and be fast-tracked into 2018 World Cup qualifying. Kosovo drew 1-1 at Finland in their competitive international debut this month. Serbia and its allies, including Russia, have refused to recognise Kosovo as a state since the Balkan republic declared independence in 2008.
|