French international Rami joins Russia's Sochi

Moscow (AFP) – French World Cup winning defender Adil Rami has joined Russia’s Sochi club, hours after being dropped by Turkey’s Fenerbahce, the Russian Premier League website said Saturday.

The 34-year-old soccer star will play as Number 23 for Sochi, the Russian Premier League said, without giving details of his contract.

Fenerbahce announced Friday that they were ending the contract with Rami, who had failed to make his mark since his pre-season signing.

Newly-promoted Sochi, owned by billionaire Boris Rotenberg, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, are currently bottom of league, four points from the safety zone. 

Rami had been signed by Fenerbahce for one season. He was previously fired by Marseille for disciplinary reasons after appearing on a reality television show and attending a fashion event, which coincided with a match, when supposedly injured. 

Rami joined Marseille from Spanish club Sevilla in 2017 and helped Marseille reach the Europa League final in his first season with the club.

Rami has won 36 caps for France, although he had a non-playing part of the squad that won the World Cup in Russia.

Rami formerly dated Canadian-American actress Pamela Anderson, but they broke up acrimoniously last summer.  

Rami will be playing with Russian international forward Alexander Kokorin, who joined Sochi on loan in January after being released from jail over a night of drunken assaults.