He was invited to the event in Manama which ended Wednesday (February 1) by the AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

RFU secretary general Maxim Mitrofanov was present at the Congress too.

Honorary president of the RFU, Vyacheslav Koloskov, has confirmed talks took place at the AFC Congress, but the priority remained working with UEFA.

"Is it possible that some consultations were held before or after the Congress?" said Koloskov to Russia's official state news agency TASS.

"That's why they went there, they didn't just go to sit at a meeting and drink coffee.

"After all, we must understand that if we move there, it will be only if our efforts to stay in UEFA turn out to be absolutely hopeless. 

"There will be no other way out, this is the most extreme option."

Koloskov added he does not expect friction between UEFA and the RFU over this move, claiming the relationship with the European body was still cordial and ongoing. 

In the final days of 2022, the Russian body halted plans to move from UEFA to AFC, following the tension with European nations due to the invasion of Ukraine.

"There is nothing strange here, because there is a decision of the Executive Committee of the Russian Football Union to form a working group that would study in detail the issues related to the continuation of membership in Europe," said Koloskov.

"And such consultations have already begun, you know, they will continue in February. 

"The working group should study in detail the issue of a possible transition to the Asian Football Confederation. 

"Therefore, there are no contradictions here, everything is within the framework of the decisions that were taken by the Executive Committee.

"We will leave and that's all. 

"Many of our ill-wishers will cross themselves that the problem is gone, that a commission has been formed that will work in two directions, so there will be no offense. 

"This is a normal working process."

UEFA and FIFA suspended Russian clubs and national teams on February 28 last year, four days after the invasion of Ukraine started, leading to Dyukov looking at a switch to the AFC, as announced in November before talks restarted with UEFA.

Koloskov revelaed that Russian concerns about the move would centre around geographical distances, as well as less financial muscle for clubs in the country, as opposed to competing in UEFA tournaments.