Branislav Ivanovic
Encyclopedia
Branislav Ivanović is a Serbia
n footballer who plays for Chelsea
in the Premier League and the Serbia national team
.
He started his career in Serbia, playing for Remont
, FK Srem
and OFK Beograd
, where he earned his first cap for Serbia, before moving to Russia to play for Lokomotiv Moscow
. After two years in Moscow
he moved to Chelsea
. He is a versatile defensive player, able to play across the defence
and as a defensive midfielder. He played for Serbia at their first international tournament, the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa.
Ivanović was selected as the right-back of the season for the Premier League 2009-10 season as Chelsea won the league title and the 2010 FA Cup Final
.
, the club his father also turned out for professionally, playing the defensive positions of sweeper and centre-half. Ivanović has a son named Stefan.
, before transferring to OFK Beograd
in December 2003, during the 2003–04 winter transfer window
.
, 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.
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. Though the transfer fee was undisclosed, it was speculated to be in the £ 9 million range. 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. Ivanović signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea the following day. He was given the number 2 shirt last worn by Glen Johnson
..
Before the start of the 2008-09 season, Ivanović was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge
, most notably to Serie A
clubs Milan
and Juventus
. However, new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari
, said Ivanović featured in his plans for the coming 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 League Cup on 24 September. He soon went on to make his Premier League debut, starting against Aston Villa
and playing the full ninety minutes at Stamford Bridge on 5 October, a match that Chelsea won 2–0. However, Ivanović was still far from securing a regular spot: he sat out the following five league matches, only getting a single substitute appearance in the 85th minute away at Hull City
with the contest already decided 0-3 when Scolari sent him on for José Bosingwa
. It would be Ivanović's starting performance at right back position against the second-tier Championship
side Burnley
on 12 November (shocking League Cup elimination on penalties at home) that convinced the Brazilian manager to give his Serb defender another look. This time, Ivanović got the chance at center back position instead of Alex
, starting four consecutive matches: including three league contests as well as his first ever Champions League
appearance away at Bordeaux. However, it was the performance at home versus Arsenal on 30 November that lowered Ivanović's stock in Scolari's eyes again - after being up at halftime, the Blues lost the contest 1-2 courtesy of Robin van Persie
's second half brace. The Serb was relegated back to the bench, recording only a couple more starts in late December and early January. He played a total of nine games in the first part of the 2008–09 season under Scolari's tenure.
Towards the end of the 2008-09 winter transfer window, Ivanović became a target of another Serie A outfit - this time it was Fiorentina
. On 27 January, his agent Vlado Borozan confirmed ongoing negotiations with the club's sporting director Pantaleo Corvino
, however, on 1 February, Italian player agent Ernesto Broseti said Chelsea appeared unwilling to sell Ivanović and that he will likely remain in London
, which is what happened in the end.
Chelsea was in a poor run of form, culminating with a 2-0 loss away at Liverpool followed by a goalless home draw versus lowly Hull City, all of which led to Scolari's removal on 9 February. New manager Guus Hiddink
continued omitting Ivanović who was by now completely out of the first-team picture. His first start under Hiddink finally came on 4 April away at Newcastle United
, almost two months after the Dutchman's arrival at Stamford Bridge. It was the player'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
. Despite playing very little competitive football over the previous months (his appearances restricted to national team and cup competitions with Chelsea), Ivanović responded with assured defensive displays.
He scored his first goal for Chelsea against Liverpool
in the first leg of the 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. 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
.
(Ivanović's fourth in his 18 months at Stamford Bridge), the Serb made his first start in the Community Shield
against Premier League champions Manchester United
. He was substituted off at half time for José Bosingwa
with Manchester leading 0-1 as Chelsea went on to overturn the result 2-1 before conceding an injury-time equaliser and eventually winning 4–1 on penalties.
In mid-August Ivanović made his first Premier League appearance of the season against Sunderland
, which Chelsea won 3–1, with goals from Michael Ballack
, Frank Lampard
, and Deco
. 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 31 October. 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 the 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 22 December, 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 Pepe.
As the season continued, so did Ivanović as a regular in the Chelsea first team. In the UEFA Champions' League second round first leg away at Jose Mourinho
's Inter Milan
, the later winners of the compition, Ivanović ran a majority of the pitch before passing to Salomon Kalou
who scored Chelsea's equaliser. His great run of form during the season led to him being named in the PFA
2009/10 Team of the Year
in the right-back position.
and John Terry
and the return to fitness of first choice right back Jose Bosingwa
.
His first goal of the season scored in an away game against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, on 30 October 2010, a late header that secured Chelsea 2-1 win. He then scored a brace in a 4-1 win in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow
on 4 November 2010, netted by a powerful header and a neat shot. His second goal in the Premier League, or fourth in all competitions, came with a header during the 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
Early in 2011, Ivanović scored his first goal of the year on 15 January 2011, in a 2-0 home win in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge
, with a shot from close range. He has currently made 34 appearances and has scored five goals in total.
On 10 February 2011, Ivanović signed a new five-and-a-half year-contract with Chelsea Football Club, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2016. After signing this new long-term deal, he said: "It is good news for me, it is a very big step for me in my career and I want to try to help Chelsea win a lot more trophies," according to Ivanović. He said again: "These things take a little time but my first vision was always to stay with Chelsea. There were not a lot of problems because I wanted to stay, the club wanted me to stay and I want to thank everyone who helped with the deal. I am very happy with that." He ended the season by being one of three nominations for Chelsea Player of the Year, losing out in the end to Petr Čech
.
from a outside-of-the-foot cross in the 50th minute against Blackburn Rovers F.C Chelsea won the game as it was the only goal of the match.
|2003–04||rowspan="3"|OFK Beograd
||rowspan="3"|Super Liga
||13||0||-||-||rowspan=3 colspan=2| ||-||-||13||0
|-
|2004–05||27||2||-||-||-||-||27||2
|-
|2005–06
||15||3||-||-||2||1||17||4
|-
|2006
||rowspan="2"|Lokomotiv Moscow
||rowspan="2"|Premier League
||28||2||2||0||rowspan=2 colspan=2| ||2||1||32||3
|-
|2007
||26||3||7||0||6||1||39||4
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Chelsea F.C.
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2008–09||16||0||4||0||2||0||4||2||26||2
|-
|2009–10||28||1||3||0||3||0||6||0||40||1
|-
|2010–11
||34||4||3||0||0||0||10||2||47||6
|-
|2011–12||12||0||0||0||1||0||4||1||17||1
|-
55||5||0||0||colspan="2"| ||2||1||57||6
54||5||9||0||colspan="2"| ||8||2||71||7
90||5||10||0||6||0||24||5||130||10
199||15||19||0||6||0||34||8||258||23
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.
, 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
. 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.
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
. He regularly plays right back for Serbia.
|- style="background: #CCCCCC; text-align: center;"
!#
!Date
!Venue
!Opponent
!Score
!Result
!Competition
player, as well as his son Dejan Milovanović
, also a professional footballer, currently playing for Panionios in Greece
.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n footballer who plays for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the Premier League and the Serbia national team
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
.
He started his career in Serbia, playing for Remont
FK Remont Cacak
FK Remont is a Serbian football club based in Čačak, Serbia.-Notable former players:* Branislav Ivanović of Chelsea F.C* Radenko Kamberović of FK Partizan...
, FK Srem
FK Srem
FK Srem is a football club from the city of Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia.In 2002 the team amalgamated with FK Zvezdara that was relegated from the top flight, while Srem relegated from the third level. Since 2002-03 the team plays in the Serbian First League, second national level.-History:The club...
and OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
, where he earned his first cap for Serbia, before moving to Russia to play for Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
. After two years in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
he moved to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. He is a versatile defensive player, able to play across the defence
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and as a defensive midfielder. He played for Serbia at their first international tournament, the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa.
Ivanović was selected as the right-back of the season for the Premier League 2009-10 season as Chelsea won the league title and the 2010 FA Cup Final
2010 FA Cup Final
The 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
.
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 SremFK Srem
FK Srem is a football club from the city of Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia.In 2002 the team amalgamated with FK Zvezdara that was relegated from the top flight, while Srem relegated from the third level. Since 2002-03 the team plays in the Serbian First League, second national level.-History:The club...
, the club his father also turned out for professionally, playing the defensive positions of sweeper and centre-half. Ivanović has a son named Stefan.
Early career
Ivanović began his career in his home town with SremFK Srem
FK Srem is a football club from the city of Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia.In 2002 the team amalgamated with FK Zvezdara that was relegated from the top flight, while Srem relegated from the third level. Since 2002-03 the team plays in the Serbian First League, second national level.-History:The club...
, before transferring to OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
in December 2003, during the 2003–04 winter transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
.
Lokomotiv Moscow
After three years of playing in the Serbian SuperligaSerbian Superliga
Serbian SuperLiga is a Serbian professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Serbian First League...
, the first division of football in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and previously Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, he was signed by Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
in January 2006. Coached by compatriot Slavoljub Muslin
Slavoljub Muslin
Slavoljub Muslin is a Serbian football manager and a former player who currently manages FC Krasnodar...
, 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
Russian Premier League 2006
Russian Premier League 2006 was the 15th season of Russian Football Championship, and 5th under the current Russian Premier League name. The league was won by defending champions CSKA Moscow. Torpedo Moscow and Shinnik were relegated...
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
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
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
On 15 January 2008, ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
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
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, Ajax, Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
for his signature. Though the transfer fee was undisclosed, it was speculated to be in the £ 9 million range. 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. Ivanović signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea the following day. He was given the number 2 shirt last worn by Glen Johnson
Glen Johnson
Glen or Glenn Johnson may refer to:*Glenn Johnson , American football player who played for Green Bay Packers in 1949*Glen Johnson , Jamaican boxer...
..
2007–08
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
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, most notably to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
clubs Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. However, new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
, said Ivanović featured in his plans for the coming 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
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in the League Cup on 24 September. He soon went on to make his Premier League debut, starting against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and playing the full ninety minutes at Stamford Bridge on 5 October, a match that Chelsea won 2–0. However, Ivanović was still far from securing a regular spot: he sat out the following five league matches, only getting a single substitute appearance in the 85th minute away at Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
with the contest already decided 0-3 when Scolari sent him on for José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa da Silva , known as Bosingwa, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, as a right defender.-Early years:...
. It would be Ivanović's starting performance at right back position against the second-tier Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 12 November (shocking League Cup elimination on penalties at home) that convinced the Brazilian manager to give his Serb defender another look. This time, Ivanović got the chance at center back position instead of Alex
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, better known as Alex , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Chelsea FC and the Brazil national team. His nickname is "Vinny" amongst fans for his close similarities to actor Vin Diesel....
, starting four consecutive matches: including three league contests as well as his first ever Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
appearance away at Bordeaux. However, it was the performance at home versus Arsenal on 30 November that lowered Ivanović's stock in Scolari's eyes again - after being up at halftime, the Blues lost the contest 1-2 courtesy of Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
's second half brace. The Serb was relegated back to the bench, recording only a couple more starts in late December and early January. He played a total of nine games in the first part of the 2008–09 season under Scolari's tenure.
Towards the end of the 2008-09 winter transfer window, Ivanović became a target of another Serie A outfit - this time it was Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
. On 27 January, his agent Vlado Borozan confirmed ongoing negotiations with the club's sporting director Pantaleo Corvino
Pantaleo Corvino
Pantaleo Corvino is an Italian director of football, currently working for Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina....
, however, on 1 February, Italian player agent Ernesto Broseti said Chelsea appeared unwilling to sell Ivanović and that he will likely remain in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which is what happened in the end.
Chelsea was in a poor run of form, culminating with a 2-0 loss away at Liverpool followed by a goalless home draw versus lowly Hull City, all of which led to Scolari's removal on 9 February. New manager Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
continued omitting Ivanović who was by now completely out of the first-team picture. His first start under Hiddink finally came on 4 April away at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, almost two months after the Dutchman's arrival at Stamford Bridge. It was the player'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
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 7
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 7 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria and Faroe Islands....
away at Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
. Despite playing very little competitive football over the previous months (his appearances restricted to national team and cup competitions with Chelsea), Ivanović responded with assured defensive displays.
He scored his first goal for Chelsea against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. 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. 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
Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø is a Norwegian football referee. Born in Oslo, Øvrebø is a former UEFA Elite referee, who has refereed matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League...
, and he also sat out the 2009 FA Cup Final
2009 FA Cup Final
The 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
.
2009–10
Beginning the season under yet another new manager Carlo AncelottiCarlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
(Ivanović's fourth in his 18 months at Stamford Bridge), the Serb made his first start in the Community Shield
2009 FA Community Shield
The 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
against Premier League champions Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He was substituted off at half time for José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa da Silva , known as Bosingwa, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, as a right defender.-Early years:...
with Manchester leading 0-1 as Chelsea went on to overturn the result 2-1 before conceding an injury-time equaliser and eventually winning 4–1 on penalties.
In mid-August Ivanović made his first Premier League appearance of the season against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, which Chelsea won 3–1, with goals from Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
, Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
, and Deco
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH , commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense....
. 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 31 October. His goal was Chelsea's third in a 4–0 victory at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
. 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 the 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 22 December, a week before the opening of 2009–10 winter transfer window, he was placed on the cover of MARCA
Marca
Marca may refer to:Places:* Marca, Sălaj, a commune in Sălaj County, Romania* an alternative name for Merca, Somalia* Marca District, in the province Recuay, PeruMarches:* Marca is the Latin term for border regions known as a Marks or Marches...
, 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 Pepe.
As the season continued, so did Ivanović as a regular in the Chelsea first team. In the UEFA Champions' League second round first leg away at Jose Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
's Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, the later winners of the compition, Ivanović ran a majority of the pitch before passing to Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
who scored Chelsea's equaliser. His great run of form during the season led to him being named in the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
2009/10 Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
in the right-back position.
2010–11
Ivanović started the season at right back but eventually moved back centre back due to injuries to his team mates AlexAlex
Alex is a common English name, usually a nickname of the male given name Alexander, its female equivalent Alexandra. The East European male name Alexey sometime is also nicknamed as Alex.-People whose names are Alex:...
and John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
and the return to fitness of first choice right back Jose Bosingwa
José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa da Silva , known as Bosingwa, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, as a right defender.-Early years:...
.
His first goal of the season scored in an away game against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, on 30 October 2010, a late header that secured Chelsea 2-1 win. He then scored a brace in a 4-1 win in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based in Moscow, Russia:* FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club* HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team* WBC Spartak Moscow, a women's basketball team...
on 4 November 2010, netted by a powerful header and a neat shot. His second goal in the Premier League, or fourth in all competitions, came with a header during the 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
Early in 2011, Ivanović scored his first goal of the year on 15 January 2011, in a 2-0 home win in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, with a shot from close range. He has currently made 34 appearances and has scored five goals in total.
On 10 February 2011, Ivanović signed a new five-and-a-half year-contract with Chelsea Football Club, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2016. After signing this new long-term deal, he said: "It is good news for me, it is a very big step for me in my career and I want to try to help Chelsea win a lot more trophies," according to Ivanović. He said again: "These things take a little time but my first vision was always to stay with Chelsea. There were not a lot of problems because I wanted to stay, the club wanted me to stay and I want to thank everyone who helped with the deal. I am very happy with that." He ended the season by being one of three nominations for Chelsea Player of the Year, losing out in the end to Petr Čech
Petr Cech
Petr Čech is a Czech footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Czech Republic as a goalkeeper. Čech previously played for Viktoria Plzeň, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals...
.
2011-12
Branislav Ivanovic scored a headed goal in the 42nd minute of Chelsea's 5-0 home win over Belgian club KRC Genk in the Champions League Group E . He assisted Frank LampardFrank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
from a outside-of-the-foot cross in the 50th minute against Blackburn Rovers F.C Chelsea won the game as it was the only goal of the match.
Career statistics
|-|2003–04||rowspan="3"|OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
||rowspan="3"|Super Liga
Serbian Superliga
Serbian SuperLiga is a Serbian professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Serbian First League...
||13||0||-||-||rowspan=3 colspan=2| ||-||-||13||0
|-
|2004–05||27||2||-||-||-||-||27||2
|-
|2005–06
2005–06 Serbia and Montenegro SuperLiga
2005-06 Serbia and Montenegro Superliga is the last edition before the dissolution of the state union between Serbia and Montenegro.-League table:||||rowspan=5 style="background:white;"|...
||15||3||-||-||2||1||17||4
|-
|2006
Russian Premier League 2006
Russian Premier League 2006 was the 15th season of Russian Football Championship, and 5th under the current Russian Premier League name. The league was won by defending champions CSKA Moscow. Torpedo Moscow and Shinnik were relegated...
||rowspan="2"|Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
||28||2||2||0||rowspan=2 colspan=2| ||2||1||32||3
|-
|2007
Russian Premier League 2007
Russian Premier League 2007 was the 16th official season of Rosgosstrakh Russian Football Championship, and 6th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season started with the match between Luch-Energia and Moskva in Vladivostok on Saturday, 10 March 2007, at 18:00 local time...
||26||3||7||0||6||1||39||4
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2008–09||16||0||4||0||2||0||4||2||26||2
|-
|2009–10||28||1||3||0||3||0||6||0||40||1
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||34||4||3||0||0||0||10||2||47||6
|-
|2011–12||12||0||0||0||1||0||4||1||17||1
|-
55||5||0||0||colspan="2"| ||2||1||57||6
54||5||9||0||colspan="2"| ||8||2||71||7
90||5||10||0||6||0||24||5||130||10
199||15||19||0||6||0||34||8||258||23
Under-21
Ivanović's under-21 debut took place on 15 December 2003 in OhridOhrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
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
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, 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
Ivanović received his first cap on 8 June 2005 in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
when Serbia and Montenegro played a friendly against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. The game finished 1–1 and he came on as a 77th minute sub for his then club teammate Marko Baša
Marko Baša
Marko Baša is a Montenegrin football player who plays for Lille.-Lille:...
. Ivanović scored his first international goal on 12 September 2007 against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. 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
Dejan Stankovic
Dejan Stanković is a Serbian association football player who plays for the Italian Serie A side Inter. He captained the Serbian national football team until 2011, when he announced his retirement from international football...
in-swinging freekick, sealing a 1–1 draw. The game was played for Euro 2008 qualifying.
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
Radomir Antic
Radomir Antić is a Serbian former football defender and former football manager for the Serbian national team.Following a 17-year playing career he found his true calling in coaching....
. He regularly plays right back for Serbia.
International goals
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!#
!Date
!Venue
!Opponent
!Score
!Result
!Competition
Personal
On his mother's side, Ivanović is related to late footballer Đorđe Milovanović, also known as "Đoka Bomba," a former Red Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
player, as well as his son Dejan Milovanović
Dejan Milovanovic
Dejan Milovanović is a Serbian footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Greek side Panionios G.S.S. on loan from French club R.C. Lens....
, also a professional footballer, currently playing for Panionios in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2009–10Premier League 2009–10The 2009–10 Premier League was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three-time defending champions Manchester United, scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2009, 20102009–10 FA CupThe 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released... - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20092009 FA Community ShieldThe 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions... - Premier League Asia TrophyPremier League Asia TrophyThe Premier League Asia Trophy is a friendly four-team pre-season football tournament held in Asia every two years. The competition is contested by three Premier League football clubs and the home team...
: 20112011 Barclays Asia Trophy- Third-place playoff :- Final :-Ticket sales:Ticket prices for each match day in Hong Kong dollars were: $130 , $210 , $270 , $330 , $460 ....