Branislav Ivanović

Branislav Ivanović

Personal information
Full name	Branislav Ivanović
Date of birth	22 February 1984 (1984-02-22) (age 26)
Place of birth	Sremska Mitrovica, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Right back, centre back
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	2
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2002	Remont	13	(0)
2002–2003	Srem	19	(2)
2003–2006	OFK Beograd	55	(5)
2006–2008	Lokomotiv Moscow	54	(5)
2008–	Chelsea	46	(1)
National team‡
2003–2007	Serbia-Montenegro U21	33	(4)
2005–	Serbia	35	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:00, 21 August 2010 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:38, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Ivanovic playing for Lokomotiv Moscow.

Branislav Ivanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Бранислав Ивановић; born 22 February 1984) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. He is a versatile defensive player, able to play across the defence and as a defensive midfielder.

Early life

Born to father Rade and mother Slavica, both of whom have sporting backgrounds, young Branislav took to football early in the youth sections of hometown Srem, the club his father also turned out for professionally, playing the defensive positions of sweeper and centre-half.^[1]

Club career

Early career

Ivanović began his career in his home town with Srem, before transferring to OFK Beograd in December 2003, during the 2003–04 winter transfer window.

Lokomotiv Moscow

After three years of playing in the Serbian Superliga, the first division of football in Serbia and previously Montenegro, he was signed by Lokomotiv Moscow in January 2006. Coached by compatriot Slavoljub Muslin, 22-year-old Ivanović made an immediate impact, appearing in 28 league matches, scoring two goals, and picking up five bookings along the way. He was substituted only twice during the entire league season and contributed greatly to Lokomotiv's legitimate title challenge that ultimately ran out of steam near the end of the season. He sealed his place as a regular in the Serbian national team during his career in Russia.

In the following season, Ivanović, by now an established squad member, made 26 league appearances and scored three goals. During his time with Lokomotiv Moscow, the only major honour he won was the Russian Cup in 2007.

Chelsea

2007–08

On 15 January 2008, Chelsea confirmed that the club had agreed terms with Lokomotiv for Ivanović's transfer subject to the agreement of personal terms and the passing of a medical, having beaten competition from the likes of Milan, Ajax, Juventus and Internazionale for his signature.^[2] Though the transfer fee hadn't been disclosed, it was speculated to be in the £9 million range.^[3] Lokomotiv Moscow announced the transfer fee for Ivanović was €13 million (£9.7 million). According to the club, the transfer was the largest in Russian football history.^[4] Ivanović signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea the following day. He was given the number 2 shirt.^[5]

Despite the substantial price tag, Ivanović did not make a first team appearance for Chelsea during the 2007–08 season under manager Avram Grant. The reason given by the club was a lack of match fitness as a result of the Russian league season's conclusion several months before his signing. However, he did play twice for the Chelsea reserve side.

2008–09

All throughout the summer 2008 off-season, Ivanović was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, most notably to Milan and Juventus. However, he got the vote of confidence from new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who said Ivanović featured in his plans for the new season.

More than eight months after becoming a Chelsea player, Ivanović finally made an appearance for the club's first team, getting a start against Portsmouth in the Carling Cup on 24 September 2008. He later went on to make his Premier League debut against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on 5 October, which Chelsea won 2–0. He played a total of nine games in the early part of the 2008–09 season under Scolari's tenure that came to an end in early February 2009.

Towards the end of the January 2009 transfer window, Ivanović became a transfer target for another Serie A club Fiorentina. On 27 January, his agent Vlado Borozan confirmed ongoing negotiations with the club,^[6] however, on 1 February, Italian player manager Ernesto Broseti said that Chelsea appeared unwilling to sell Ivanović and that he will likely remain in London,^[7] which is what happened in the end.

His first start under new manager Guus Hiddink came on 4 April away at Newcastle United. It was Ivanović's first league appearance in more than three months for the club and it happened only days after he scored the winning goal for the Serbian national team in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier away at Romania.

He scored his first goal for Chelsea against Liverpool in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Anfield. He later went on to score a second goal which like his first, was a headed goal off a corner. These two goals proved to be decisive, as Chelsea left Anfield leading 1–3 on aggregate, and would go on to win the tie by two goals with an aggregate score of 7–5.^[8] Ivanović's two goals also earned him a regular starting place for the time being in Guus Hiddink's side, as well as making him an instant fan favorite among Chelsea supporters with the nickname Branislav 'two goal' Ivanović announced before games. Still, by the end of the season Hiddink relegated Ivanović back to the bench after Champions League semi-final 1st leg at Barcelona, meaning that he didn't play in the controversial second leg that Chelsea lost in heartbreaking fashion, and he also sat out the 2009 FA Cup Final.

2009–10

Ivanović playing for Chelsea in 2010

Ivanović made his first start in a Chelsea cup final the next season in the Community Shield against Premier League winners and Chelsea rivals Manchester United. He was substituted at half time for José Bosingwa and Chelsea went on to win 4–1 on penalties.^[9] In mid August 2009 Ivanović made his first Premier League appearance of the season against Sunderland, which Chelsea went on to win 3–1, with goals from Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, and Deco.^[10] In September, Ivanović made his first Champions League appearance of the season against FC Porto in the absence of Chelsea's first choice right back, José Bosingwa. Ivanović scored the first goal of his Premier League career against Bolton Wanderers with a shot from inside the penalty area on October 31 2009. His goal was Chelsea's third in a 4–0 victory at the Reebok Stadium. As his main competitor for a defensive spot, Bosingwa, went down with a season ending knee injury in October, Ivanović became an automatic choice in Chelsea defence.

Though much more settled into the Chelsea first team than in previous seasons, Ivanović continued to figure as a transfer target for various European teams, highlighting his recent form. On December 22, 2009, a week before the opening of 2009–10 winter transfer window, he was placed on the cover of MARCA, influential Spanish high circulation daily sports tabloid that maintains strong links to Real Madrid. The accompanying piece claimed that Real is after Ivanović as a replacement for their injured centre back.^[11] As the 2009/10 season continued, so did Ivanović as a regular in the Chelsea first team. In the UEFA Champions' League second round first leg away at Inter Milan, Ivanović ran a majority of the pitch before passing to Salomon Kalou who scored Chelsea's equaliser.

His great run of form in this season led to him being named in the PFA 2009/10 Team of the Year in the right-back position.

Career statistics

As of 25 August 2010

International career

Under-21

Ivanović's under-21 debut took place on 15 December 2003 in Ohrid vs. Macedonia in a match that Serbia-Montenegro ended up winning 4–1. He scored his first goal only two days later against the same opponent in a 7–0 rout.

He took part in the 2006 U-21 Championships in Portugal, where he made four appearances and scored one goal for Serbia and Montenegro. Ivanović was given the captain's armband during this time and continued to captain the side to the 2007 U-21 Championships final where they lost to the host, the Netherlands.

In total he featured in 38 matches for the under-21 team, scoring 4 goals.

Full squad

Branislav Ivanović received his first cap on 8 June 2005 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada when Serbia and Montenegro played a friendly against Italy. The game finished 1–1 and he came on as a 77th minute sub for his then club teammate Marko Baša.^[12] Ivanović scored his first international goal on 12 September 2007 against Portugal in Lisbon. The goal was of importance because Serbia were losing 1–0 up until the 88th minute, when Ivanović scored following a series of goal area deflections after a Dejan Stanković in-swinging freekick, sealing a 1–1 draw. The game was played for Euro 2008 qualifying.^[13]

Despite not having a regular spot at his club side Chelsea at the time, Ivanović continued being the automatic starting choice for Serbia at the start of World Cup 2010 qualifiers under new head coach Radomir Antić. As of 29 March 2009, Ivanović is joint top-scorer of UEFA Group 7 with three goals in Serbia's World Cup 2010 qualification campaign. He regularly partners Manchester United centre-half Nemanja Vidić in the centre of defense.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	12 September 2007	Estádio José Alvalade, Lissabon, Portugal	Portugal	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2.	10 September 2008	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	France	2–1	2–1	2010 World Cup qual.
3.	11 October 2008	Stadium Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Lithuania	1–0	3–0	2010 World Cup qual.
4.	28 March 2009	Stadionul Farul, Constanta, Romania	Romania	1–3	2–3	2010 World Cup qual.

Personal

On his mother's side, Ivanović is related to late footballer Đorđe Milovanović, also known as "Đoka Bomba," a former Red Star Belgrade player, as well as his son Dejan Milovanović, also a professional footballer, currently playing for Lens in France.^[1] Ivanovic has been called the strongest man in the Chelsea squad by fellow players many times.

Honours

Lokomotiv

• Russian Cup: 2007

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2009–10
• FA Cup: 2009, 2010
• FA Community Shield: 2009

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 2010

References

External links

• Branislav Ivanović at National-Football-Teams.com
• Branislav Ivanović career stats at Soccerbase
• Branislav Ivanović national team profile at Reprezentacija.rs
• Goal.com profile
• National team profile of Branislav Ivanović at Beli Orlovi

Serbia squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Stojković • 2 Rukavina • 3 Kolarov • 4 Kačar • 5 Vidić • 6 Ivanović • 7 Tošić • 8 Lazović • 9 Pantelić • 10 Stanković (c) • 11 Milijaš • 12 Isailović • 13 Luković • 14 Jovanović • 15 Žigić • 16 Obradović • 17 Krasić • 18 Ninković • 19 Petrović • 20 Subotić • 21 Mrđa • 22 Kuzmanović • 23 Đuričić • Coach: Antić