Sevilla chasing Milan defender Rami, official says

MADRID (Reuters) - Europa League holders Sevilla are looking to strengthen their defence for next season's Champions League by signing AC Milan's French centre back Adil Rami, sporting director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo said on Thursday. Rami joined Milan on loan in January 2014 after falling out of favour at Sevilla's La Liga rivals Valencia and the move was later made permanent. A tough-tackling defender who is strong in the air, the 29-year-old was last selected for France in June 2013. "It won't be easy, firstly because he is at a big club like Milan, but also because he has a lot of options," Rodriguez Verdejo, who is known as Monchi, said at the presentation of Sevilla's new Denmark midfielder Michael Krohn-Dehli. Valencia opened disciplinary proceedings against Rami after he criticised then-coach Miroslav Djukic and his team mates in an interview with Spanish radio and he was suspended for a week without pay. Sevilla's victory over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in last month's Europa League final earned them a lucrative place in the Champions League group stage for next season. Holders Barcelona, record winners Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid also qualified for the group stage of Europe's elite club competition. Valencia secured a place in qualifying. (Additional reporting by Julien Pretot in Paris, writing by Iain Rogers, Editing by Ed Osmond)