European soccer’s governing body is looking to avoid the repetition of Armenia v Azerbaijan fixtures in Euro-2012 qualification despite the fact that the two nations are in different pots and, therefore, technically may be drawn in the same qualifying group.

According to media reports, UEFA late last week signaled that such an option would be avoided when the Euro-2012 qualifying draw is held in Warsaw, Poland, on February 7.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn together in Group A of the Euro-2008 qualifiers, but both matches were canceled by UEFA after the two countries couldn’t agree on the match venues. Armenia wanted the games played on a normal home and away basis, while Azerbaijan refused to host the Armenians and proposed a neutral ground for both qualifiers.

It also appears that the soccer governing body will ensure that Russia and Georgia, also a potential draw-together, avoid being put into one group. The two neighbors had already played in one group as part of international qualification, which, however, was before the August 2008 war in South Ossetia that led them to sever diplomatic ties and become bitterly antagonistic to each other.

The qualifying competition for Euro-2012 (to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine) will comprise six groups of six teams (groups A-F) and three groups of five teams (groups G-I). Sides in each group will play one another on a home and away basis, with qualifying matches scheduled according to the international match calendar between September 2010 and November 2011. The nine winners and the best runner-up qualify directly for the final tournament. The eight remaining runners-up contest play-off matches.