MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry received numerous messages from the people of Croatia expressing apologies for remarks made by their national team’s defender Damagoj Vida last week at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

On Monday, the world’s governing football body, FIFA, imposed a fine of 15,000 Swiss francs on Croatian team’s coaching staff assistant Ognjen Vukojevic for his conduct after the victory over Russia.

In a video clip, which was recorded after the match in the Croatian team’s locker room and later circulated on social networks, Croatia’s defender Domagoj Vida yells "Glory to Ukraine," while Vukojevic adds that he dedicates that victory over Russia to the people of Ukraine.

"Many Croatian people made public statements sending us apologies and saying it was inappropriate raising a politically-tinged football issue," Zakharova told journalists. "There is a game of football and there is politics - these are different things."