Serbia gets CAS date to challenge Kosovo's UEFA membership

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - The Serbian soccer federation has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Kosovo being accepted as a member of UEFA.

CAS says 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 its competitive international debut this month.

Serbia and its allies, including Russia, have refused to recognize Kosovo as a state since the Balkan republic declared independence in 2008.