Branislav Ivanović ( sr-Cyrl, Бранислав Ивановић, ; born 22 February 1984) is a
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
. A versatile defender, Ivanović played as a
right back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
, although he can also play as a
centre back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
.
Ivanović began his career with hometown club
FK Srem
FK Srem () is a football club based in Sremska Mitrovica, Vojvodina, Serbia. They compete in the Sremska Mitrovica City League, the seventh tier of the national league system.
History
The club was founded as Građanski in 1919. They initiall ...
. In January 2004 he transferred to
top division side
OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma, ...
. Two years later, he moved to Russia to play for
Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow (''FC Lokomotiv Moskva'', russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб "Локомотив" Москва, ) is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москв ...
in the
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...
, where he would spend two seasons, winning his first honour, the 2007
Russian Cup. In January 2008, Ivanović was signed by
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side Chelsea for a £9 million fee. He won nine major honours with Chelsea, including three Premier League titles, three
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
s, one
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
, the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
and the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
. Overall, he made 377 appearances and scored 34 goals, making him one of only five foreign players to appear in over 300 matches for the club and putting him behind only
John Terry
John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was most recently the assi ...
in terms of goals scored by a defender for Chelsea. Additionally, Ivanović was twice named in the
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
. He returned to Russia in February 2017, joining Zenit on a free transfer.
Ivanović was first capped for Serbia in June 2005, and has since become the nation's most capped player earning over 100 caps and scoring 13 goals. He represented the nation at their first international tournament as an independent country, the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa, and was appointed captain of the national team in 2012. He was captain until just prior to the
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
where he also represented Serbia. In that competition he became the most capped player in the history of the Serbian national team, with 105 matches.
Early life
Ivanović was born into a family with a sporting history, his father Rade played for local team
FK Srem
FK Srem () is a football club based in Sremska Mitrovica, Vojvodina, Serbia. They compete in the Sremska Mitrovica City League, the seventh tier of the national league system.
History
The club was founded as Građanski in 1919. They initiall ...
as a defender. Ivanović played youth football for various teams in his home town
Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...
. Until the age of 15, he played as a striker, before switching to his current position in defense.
Club career
Early career
Ivanović made his first football steps with
FK Srem
FK Srem () is a football club based in Sremska Mitrovica, Vojvodina, Serbia. They compete in the Sremska Mitrovica City League, the seventh tier of the national league system.
History
The club was founded as Građanski in 1919. They initiall ...
in 2002, following in his father's footsteps. Here, he made his professional debut and his performances began to attract attention from Serbia's First League clubs.
OFK Beograd
In December 2003, Ivanović joined
OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma, ...
, in what was then the
First League of Serbia and Montenegro
The First League of Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Прва савезна лига / Prva savezna liga) was the top football league of Serbia and Montenegro, before the country's dissolution in 2006. The league was formed following the breakup of Yu ...
. Brought in by the club's general manager
Zvezdan Terzić
Zvezdan Terzić (Serbian Cyrillic: Звездан Терзић; born 21 May 1966) is a Serbian football administrator and former player. He currently serves as the general director for Red Star Belgrade of the Serbian SuperLiga.
Immediately after ...
, the nineteen-year-old defender struggled initially, reportedly even drawing ire from his OFK team-mates due to static posture and clumsy defensive reactions.
Ivanović's physical abilities soon set him apart as he claimed the right back position in the team, squeezing
Igor Radović out of the squad in the process.
During his time with Belgrade, his team performed above expectations, even reaching the semi-finals of the
2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup
The 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup football finals (the summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions) were won by Lille, Schalke 04, and Villarreal.
All three teams advanced to the ...
. After two years of playing in Serbia's top division, Ivanović began courting interest from clubs across Europe.
Lokomotiv Moscow
![Ivanovic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Ivanovic.JPG)
In January 2006, Ivanović was signed by
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...
club
Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow (''FC Lokomotiv Moskva'', russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб "Локомотив" Москва, ) is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москв ...
.
2006 season
Coached by compatriot
Slavoljub Muslin
Slavoljub Muslin ( sr-Cyrl, Славољуб Муслин, ; born 15 June 1953) is a Serbian football manager and former player.
Muslin began his head coaching career in 1988 and has since had stints in France, Morocco, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine ...
, the 22-year-old Ivanović made an immediate impact, cementing a place in the starting XI. He appeared in 28 league matches, scoring two goals. Ivanović contributed some outstanding performances to Lokomotiv's
title challenge that ultimately fell short at the end of the season as head coach Muslin got fired and replaced by
Oleg Dolmatov
Oleg Vasilyevich Dolmatov (Russian: Олег Васильевич Долматов; born 29 November 1948 in Chelyabinsk-40) is a Russian football manager and a former player.
Honors
* Soviet Top League winner: 1976 (spring)
* Soviet Cup win ...
.
2007 season
In his second and final
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
at Loko, Ivanović—by now a key member of the squad led by the incoming head coach
Anatoliy Byshovets
Anatoliy Fyodorovich Byshovets (russian: Анатолий Фёдорович Бышовец, uk, Анато́лій Фе́дорович Бишове́ць; born 23 April 1946) is a Soviet and Russian football manager of Ukrainian origin and for ...
—made 26 league appearances and scored three goals. Lokomotiv again fell short in the league but won the
Russian Cup, defeating
FC Moscow :''This article refers to the Moscow government team formed in 2004. For the predecessors in the Russian Premier League, see FC Torpedo-ZIL and FC Torpedo-Metallurg.''
FC Moscow (Russian: Футбольный клуб Москва) was a Russian f ...
1–0 in the final at the
Luzhniki Stadium
Luzhniki Stadium ( rus, стадион «Лужники», p=stədʲɪˈon lʊʐnʲɪˈkʲi, ''Stadion Luzhniki'') is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The full name of the stadium is Grand Sports Arena of the ...
.
Chelsea
![Branislav Ivanović - action](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Branislav_Ivanovi%C4%87_-_action.jpg)
On 15 January 2008, English
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
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
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
,
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
,
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
and
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
for his signature.
Though the transfer fee was undisclosed, it was speculated to be in the £9 million range. Lokomotiv later announced the transfer fee was €13 million (£9.7 million) and 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, where he was given the number 2 shirt last worn by
Glen Johnson
Glen McLeod Cooper Johnson (''né'' Stephens; born 23 August 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played predominantly as a right back.
Johnson began his career at West Ham United, spending time on loan at Millwall, and was s ...
.
2007–08 season
Despite the substantial price tag, Ivanović did not make a first team appearance for Chelsea during the
2007–08 Premier League
The 2007–08 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) season was the 16th since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008. Manchest ...
season under manager
Avram Grant
Avraham "Avram" Grant ( he, אברהם "אברם" גרנט; born Avraham Granat; ) is an Israeli professional football manager. He has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup ...
. The reason given by the club was a lack of match fitness as a result of the
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
's conclusion several months before his signing. Reportedly, Ivanović, who had not played competitive football in weeks, failed to impress in training, showing a lack of pace and fitness that was especially evident when matched up against club's forwards, even youth prospects such as 16-year-old
Frank Nouble
Frank Herman Nouble (born 24 September 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for League Two club Colchester United.
Nouble started his career with the youth team at Chelsea before signing for West Ham United. Whil ...
. By the end of the season, Ivanović made two appearances for the
Chelsea reserve side. Looking back on his initial six months at Chelsea, Ivanović stated it was the most difficult period of his career.
2008–09 season
![Branislav Ivanovic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Branislav_Ivanovic.jpg)
Before the start of the
2008–09 season, Ivanović was linked with a move away from
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to:
* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England
** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066
* Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge
* Stamford Bridge (stadium), in L ...
, most notably to
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
clubs Milan and Juventus. He later admitted to being very close to leaving the club, citing advice and encouragement from teammate
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko, or Andrii Mykolaiovych Shevchenko ( uk, Андрій Миколайович Шевченко, ; born 29 September 1976) is a Ukrainian football manager, a former professional football player and a former politici ...
as one of the reasons for staying.
Eight months after becoming a Chelsea player, Ivanović made his first appearance for the Chelsea's first team, getting a start at right back against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
in the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
on 24 September and afterwards receiving approval for his man-to-man
marking and aerial play from newly arrived manager
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari (; born 9 November 1948), also known as Felipão ("Big Phil"), is a Brazilian football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Athletico Paranaense.
Scolari was a defender during his playing days, and notab ...
. Ivanović soon went on to make his Premier League debut, starting against
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
and playing the full 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge on 5 October, a match Chelsea won 2–0. Ivanović, however, was still far from securing a regular spot; he sat out the following five league matches, only receiving a single substitute appearance in the 85th minute away at
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving ...
with the contest already decided at 0–3 when Scolari sent him on to replace
José Bosingwa
José Bosingwa da Silva (born 24 August 1982) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a right-back.
An attacking fullback, his pace and ability to get up and down the flanks created problems for the opposition. He spent most of his prof ...
. It would be Ivanović's starting performance at right back in League Cup against the second-tier
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
side
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
on 12 November that convinced the Brazilian manager to give the Serb another look. This time, Ivanović got the chance at center back position instead of
Alex
Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis.
People
Multiple
*Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people
*Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple pe ...
, starting four consecutive matches, including three league contests as well as his
Champions League debut away at
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
. It would be the performance at home versus
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on 30 November, however, that lowered Ivanović's stock in Scolari's eyes again; after being up at half-time, the Blues lost the contest 1–2 courtesy of
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball co ...
'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 winter transfer window, Ivanović became a target of another Serie A club – this time it was
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fo ...
. On 27 January, his agent Vlado Borozan confirmed ongoing negotiations with the club's sporting director
Pantaleo Corvino
Pantaleo Corvino (born 12 December 1949) is an Italian director of football, currently working for Lecce.
After his father's death, he was forced to interrupt his career as a player and became non-commissioned officer.
His early career in manage ...
, however, on 1 February, Italian player agent Ernesto Bronzeti said Chelsea appeared unwilling to sell Ivanović and that he will likely remain in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, which is what happened in the end.
![Branislav Ivanovic 09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Branislav_Ivanovic_09.JPG)
Chelsea were in a poor run of form, culminating with a 2–0 loss away at
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
followed by a goalless home draw versus lowly Hull City, all of which led to Luiz Felipe Scolari's removal on 9 February. New manager
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink (; born 8 November 1946) is a Dutch former football manager and professional player. He enjoyed a long career playing as a midfielder in his native Netherlands. Retired as player in 1982, Hiddink went into management, leading both c ...
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 Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
, 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
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
qualifier
In linguistics, a modifier is an optional element in phrase structure or clause structure which ''modifies'' the meaning of another element in the structure. For instance, the adjective "red" acts as a modifier in the noun phrase "red ball", provi ...
away at
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. 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
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
. Later on in the contest, he went on to score a second goal, which like his first was a header 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 favourite among Chelsea supporters with the nickname Branislav "two goal' Ivanović announced before games. Nonetheless, by the end of the season, Hiddink relegated Ivanović back to the bench after
Champions League semi-final first leg at
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, meaning that he did not play in the second leg, and he also sat out the
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the FA Cup, Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the List of sports attendance figures, most attended domestic football ev ...
.
2009–10 season
![Ivanovic 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Ivanovic_2.JPG)
Beginning the season under yet another new manager in
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti , (born 10 June 1959) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of La Liga club Real Madrid. Regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, Ancelotti is the most decorated manager ...
, Ivanović's fourth in his first 18 months at Stamford Bridge, the Serb made his first start in the
Community Shield against
Premier League champions Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. He was substituted off at half-time for José Bosingwa with United 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 () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, which Chelsea won 3–1 through goals from
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack (; born 26 September 1976) is a German former professional footballer. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of the German national team. Ballack wore the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for, except 1. FC ...
,
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Everton. He is widely regarded as one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players, and one of the greatest midfielder ...
and
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza (born 27 August 1977), known as Deco (), is a retired professional footballer who primarily played as an attacking or central midfielder. Born and raised in Brazil, he acquired Portuguese citizenship and played for Po ...
. In September, Ivanović made his first Champions League appearance
of the season against
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
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
Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
with a shot from inside the penalty area on 31 October. His goal was Chelsea's third in a 0–4 victory at the
Reebok Stadium
The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England.
Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...
. After 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 may refer to:
Places
* Marca, Sălaj, a commune in Sălaj County, Romania
* Marca, a tributary of the Barcău in Sălaj County, Romania
* an alternative name for Merca, Somalia
* Marca District, in the province Recuay, Peru
* Marçà, a vil ...
'', the influential Spanish sports tabloid that maintains strong links to
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
. The accompanying piece claimed that Real was after Ivanović as a replacement for their injured centre back
Pepe
Pepe is a pet form of the Spanish name José (Josep). It is also a surname.
*
People
Mononyms
* Pepe (footballer, born 1935), real name José Macia, Brazilian footballer
*Pepe (footballer, born 1983), real name Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira ...
.
As the season continued, so did Ivanović as a regular in the Chelsea first team. In the Champions League
second round first leg away at
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH (; born 26 January 1963), is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Italian Serie A club Roma. Once dubbed "The Special One" by the British ...
's Internazionale, the eventual winners of the competition, Ivanović ran a majority of the pitch before passing to
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou (born 5 August 1985) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a forward and winger for Djiboutian club Arta/Solar7.
He previously played for Feyenoord from 2003 to 2006 and Chelsea from 2006 to 2012. Wh ...
, who scored Chelsea's equaliser. He was named in the 2009–10
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
in the right-back position.
2010–11 season
![Chelsea players 4717](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Chelsea_players_4717.jpg)
Ivanović began the season at right back but eventually moved back to centre back due to injuries to his teammates Alex and
John Terry
John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was most recently the assi ...
and the return to fitness of first choice right back José Bosingwa. His first goal of the season scored in an away game against
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
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 may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia:
* FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club
* HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team
* Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club
* WB ...
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.
On 10 February 2011, Ivanović signed a new five-and-a-half-year-contract with Chelsea, 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." He also added, "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
Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football. Th ...
, losing out in the end to goalkeeper
Petr Čech
Petr Čech (; born 20 May 1982) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He also plays semi-professional ice hockey as a goaltender for Chelmsford Chieftains. Described by numerous players, pundits and managers as o ...
.
2011–12 season
Ivanović scored a headed goal in the 42nd minute of Chelsea's 5–0
Champions League group stage win over Belgian club
Racing Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk (), commonly known as KRC Genk, Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgium, Belgian professional association football, football club based in the city of Genk in Limburg (Belgium), Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays ...
at Stamford Bridge. He assisted Frank Lampard from an outside-of-the-foot cross in the 50th minute against Blackburn Rovers. Chelsea won the game as it was the only goal of the match.
Ivanović scored the winning goal in the Champions League round of 16 on 14 March 2012 to complete the turn around against which was decisive extra time winner against
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, which Chelsea won 4–1 and 5–4 on aggregate at Stamford Bridge. On 31 March 2012, this marked
Roberto Di Matteo
Roberto Di Matteo (; born 29 May 1970) is an Italian professional football manager and former player.
During his playing career as a midfielder, he played for Swiss clubs Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aarau before joining Lazio of Italy and Chelse ...
's start at Chelsea with an important win. He then went on to help Chelsea overcome
Benfica in the quarter-finals and beat favourites Barcelona in the semi-finals, though he received a second yellow in the second leg and so missed the final against
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
due to suspension. Ivanović scored a double against Aston Villa in a 2–4 away win. Ivanović scored again in the following game against
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
in a 2–1 victory, with a controversial offside goal.
He was once again one of three players nominated for the Chelsea Player of the Year Award after a personally successful season, but lost out to
Juan Mata
Juan Manuel Mata García (born 28 April 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray. He mostly plays as a central attacking midfielder, but he can also play on the wing.
A grad ...
.
2012–13 season
Ivanović played all of Chelsea's pre-season games and captained the side against
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...
, leading the side to 4–2 victory. On 12 August, Ivanović started the
Community Shield match against
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and was
sent off
In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
for a two-footed tackle on City defender
Aleksandar Kolarov
Aleksandar Kolarov (; born 10 November 1985) is a Serbian former professional footballer. Although primarily a left-back, Kolarov could also operate as a centre-back and anywhere along the left flank and was known for his overlapping attacking ru ...
. He started Chelsea's
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
campaign by scoring an early goal against Wigan on 19 August, helping the Blues to a 2–0 opening round win. He scored again off an assist from
Eden Hazard
Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision, Hazard is considered o ...
, as Chelsea defeated
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
4–2 on 22 August. The Serbian then went on to score a goal as Chelsea defeated
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
4–1 on 6 October 2012. He was sent off in a Premier League game against Manchester United after a professional foul on
Ashley Young
Ashley Simon Young (born 9 July 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or full-back for Premier League club Aston Villa, where he is club captain.
Young started his career at Watford and made his first senior appea ...
, a game Chelsea lost 3–2. He scored his first ever
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
goal in 1–5 win over
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
on 19 December. On 23 December 2012, Ivanović scored his fifth goal of the season in an 8–0 thrashing of Aston Villa.
Ivanović again displayed his recent goal-poaching prowess and opened his goalscoring account for the calendar year on 5 January 2013, adding a third goal to the scoreline in a third round
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
victory against
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
. This was also the Serb's first ever goal in the FA Cup. In
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a forward. He primarily played as a deep-lying forward, ...
's debut as Sunderland manager on 7 April, Ivanović diverted
David Luiz
David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Flamengo. Primarily a centre back, he can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder.
After starting out at Vitoria, David Luiz moved to Ben ...
's long range shot past the outstretched arms of Black Cats goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet
Simon Luc Hildebert Mignolet (, ; born 6 March 1988) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Club Brugge and the Belgium national team.
Mignolet started his career with Belgian Second Divisi ...
, securing a 2–1 victory for Chelsea.
In the
Europa League Final on 15 May 2013, Ivanović headed in the winning goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time to give Chelsea a 2–1 victory over Benfica. The goal was the Serb's eighth of the campaign in all competitions, and first in the Europa League, and secured a second successive European title for the London club and the 11th major trophy of the
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (, ; he, רומן ארקדיביץ' אברמוביץ'; born 24 October 1966) is a Russian Russian oligarchs, oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, a Premier League football club ...
era. The win also meant that for ten days, the Blues would hold both the Champions League and Europa League titles at the same time, until the final of the 2013
Champions League final
The UEFA Champions League is a seasonal football competition established in 1955. Prior to the 1992–93 season, the tournament was named the European Cup. The UEFA Champions League is open to the league champions of all UEFA (Union of European ...
on 25 May. Because of Ivanović's heroic performance at both ends of the pitch, the Serbian defender was named the Man of the Match. Following the match, teammate Frank Lampard lauded Ivanović and described him as a "great man" and added, "You only have to look at him to see what a beast he is, he goes under the radar a bit because he just does his job, but what a player... He has been an absolute professional and he is a man you want on your side."
=Bite incident
=
Ivanović was subject to an oral assault by Liverpool striker
Luis Suárez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Uruguayan Primera División club Nacional and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Pistolero'' ('The Gunman'), he is ...
in their Premier League fixture on 21 April 2013. The game ended in a 2–2 draw after Suárez scored a 97th-minute equaliser to salvage a draw. Replays showed that as the two tussled for an incoming cross from
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who most recently managed club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Ge ...
, which was deflected out by
Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Dominic Bertrand (born 5 August 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Leicester City.
Bertrand began his youth career at Gillingham, before signing for Chelsea in July 2005. He gradu ...
for a corner, Suárez dug his teeth into the right arm of Ivanović. Suárez was found guilty of violent conduct and was handed a ten-match ban for the assault from
the FA
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and ...
, but Ivanović did not press formal charges following the match. He initially did not accept the apology from Suárez but afterwards the defender said he calmed down and accepted it.
2013–14 season
Ivanović became an integral part of newly appointed Chelsea manager José Mourinho's plans as he started almost all games, missing just one league game so far due to an injury he sustained in the 2–1 win against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. He made his first appearance of the season at Stamford Bridge on 18 August 2013, helping his side keep a clean sheet with a 2–0 defeat of Hull City. He scored his first goal of the season three days later, heading in Chelsea's winning goal in a 2–1 league defeat of Aston Villa. Ivanović scored the only goal of Chelsea's away victory over title rivals Manchester City on 3 February 2014, bringing the sides level on points through 24 league matches.
2014–15 season
![Chelsea 1 Man City 1 (15791681034)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Chelsea_1_Man_City_1_%2815791681034%29.jpg)
Ivanović made his first appearance of the
2014–15 season on 18 August 2014, scoring Chelsea's third goal in a 3–1 win over Burnley at
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Burnley F.C. since 1883. This unbroken service makes Turf Moor the second-longest continuously used ground in English professional football ...
. On 30 August, he scored Chelsea's second goal, after just three minutes, in a 6–3 win over
Everton at
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
. Ivanović was sent off in added time on 26 October after a foul on
Ángel Di María
Ángel Fabián Di María (born 14 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for club Juventus and the Argentina national team. He can play as either a winger or attacking midfielder.
Di María began his career with R ...
at Old Trafford in a Premier League game against Manchester United; ending in 1–1 tie directly from the resulting free kick from Di María.
On 27 January 2015, he scored the winning goal, a header from a
Willian free kick against Liverpool in the first half of extra time in the League Cup second leg semi-final to help Chelsea win 2–1 on aggregate and reach the final for the seventh time. On 7 February, Ivanović scored Chelsea's winning goal of a 2–1 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park. On 17 February, he scored the team's away goal in a 1–1 draw with
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
in the round of 16 of the
Champions League. Four days later, he scored the opening goal of a 1–1 draw with Burnley for his fourth goal in six matches. On 1 March he started – and played the full 90 minutes – in the League Cup final against
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
, helping his side to a 2–0 win for their first piece of silverware of the season. On 26 April, Ivanović, along with five of his Chelsea teammates, were included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year,
and a week later the team won the league title.
2015–16 season
![Branislav Ivanović (2 May 2016) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Branislav_Ivanovi%C4%87_%282_May_2016%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
At the beginning of the season, Ivanović was named as the club's new vice-captain. On 2 August 2015, Ivanović made his first appearance of the season in 1–0 defeat of the
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
against London rivals
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. Ivanović scored his first goal of the season in the first game after the departure of manager José Mourinho, against
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
. On 22 January 2016, Ivanović signed a new one-year contract extension with Chelsea. On 27 February, he scored an 89th minute winning header in a 2–1 win over Southampton. Ivanović made his 350th appearance for Chelsea in all competitions on 1 March against Norwich, becoming the fourth overseas player to do so.
Throughout the season, during
John Terry
John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was most recently the assi ...
's injuries, Ivanović stepped up to service as the team captain.
2016–17 season
Although suffering a minor injury in the beginning of pre-season, Ivanović returned during Chelsea's tour of the United States and continue to rotate throughout the games with young right back
Ola Aina
Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina (born 8 October 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a wing-back or right back for Serie A club Torino, and the Nigeria national team.
Club career Chelsea Early career
Ola Aina signed for Chelsea as ...
. Ivanović continued his role as the right-back in the 2–1 during the season opener against
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
. However, preceding Chelsea's 3–0 defeat against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in September, Ivanović was replaced by
Victor Moses
Victor Moses (born 12 December 1990) is a Nigerian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Winger, winger on either flank for Russian club FC Spartak Moscow, Spartak Moscow. He has also been deployed as a wing-bac ...
for the foreseeable future. This, therefore, forced manager
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing as a midfielder, Conte began his career at local club Lecce and later b ...
to switch to his favored 3–4–3 formation in their 2–0 victory over
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving ...
. Ivanović went on to score his last goal in his final appearance for Chelsea in their 4–0 home victory against
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
side
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, driving a low, hard shot past
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
Daniel Bentley.
Zenit Saint Petersburg
![Zen-Ars (10)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Zen-Ars_%2810%29.jpg)
On 1 February 2017, Ivanović joined Russian side
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...
on a two-and-a-half-year deal after a successful nine-year spell with Chelsea. On 16 February 2017, Ivanović made his Zenit debut in their 2–0 away defeat to
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the ...
in the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
round of 32.
In his 125 appearances for Zenit Ivanović not only established himself as a defensive bedrock but also scored 12 goals, captained the Russian team to back-to back championships in 2018–19 and 2019–20, and won the Russian Super Cup which he dropped and broke into pieces.
West Bromwich Albion
On 15 September 2020,
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
announced the signing of Ivanović on a 1-year deal.
Ivanovic appeared 13 times for the club in the Premier League, drawing criticism from some fans during a troublesome campaign in which the club were relegated to the EFL Championship. On 27 May 2021, it was announced that Ivanović would leave the club following the conclusion of his contract.
International career
Under-21
Ivanović's under-21 debut took place against
Macedonia in
Ohrid
Ohrid ( mk, Охрид ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the List of cities in North Macedonia, eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording ...
on 15 December 2003 in a match that Serbia and 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
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
. Ivanović was given the captain's armband during this time and continued to captain independent Serbia 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 four goals.
Senior team
![Cos-Serb (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Cos-Serb_%282%29.jpg)
Ivanović received his first cap on 8 June 2005 in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, when
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
played a friendly against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for his club teammate
Marko Baša
Marko Baša ( sr-Cyrl, Марко Баша, ; born 29 December 1982) is a Montenegrin retired professional footballer who played as a centre back.
Club career
Lille
On 23 June 2011, Baša returned to France after three years in Russia with Lo ...
in an eventual 1–1 draw.
He was not included at the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
and did not play an international again until after
the country's dissolution that year.
Ivanović scored his first international goal on 12 September 2007 in a
UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
; following a
Dejan Stanković
Dejan Stanković ( sr-Cyrl, Дејан Станковић, , born 11 September 1978) is a Serbian professional manager and former player. He currently manages Italian club Sampdoria.
He captained the Serbia national team from 2007 until 201 ...
in-swinging freekick, he scored with two minutes remaining to seal a 1–1 draw.
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 ]qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
for the 2010 World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
under new head coach Radomir Antić
Radomir Antić ( sr-Cyrl, Радомир Антић, ; 22 November 1948 – 6 April 2020) was a Serbian professional football manager and player.
Following a 17-year playing career as a defender, most of which he spent playing at Partizan, wit ...
, scoring three goals in nine matches as they reached the finals in South Africa.
In June 2010, he was selected in Serbia's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, where he played every minute in group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concent ...
.
On 28 February 2012, Ivanović scored on his first appearance as captain, a 2–0 friendly win over Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
in Cyprus. Under Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional Footballer, football player and Football coach (association football), manager.
During his career as a football ...
, he played as a centre-back during several friendly matches before returning to play as a right-back regularly. On 28 December 2013, Ivanović was named Serbian Footballer of the Year
The Football Association of Serbia Golden Boot ( sr, Златна лопта Фудбалског савеза Србије, ) is an annual award given to players and coaches who are adjudged to have been the best of the year in Serbian football. ...
becoming the third player to win the award twice (others including Nemanja Vidić
Nemanja Vidić ( sr-Cyrl, Немања Видић, ; born 21 October 1981) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is best known for his time at Manchester United, was part of the Serbia national team, and is ...
and Dejan Stanković) and the first Serbian player ever to win it in consecutive years. Ivanović scored twice for the first time in an international on 7 June 2015, as Serbia defeated Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
4–1 in a friendly in Austria.
In June 2018, he was included in the final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
. There he appeared on two matches, against Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
and Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, and he became the player with most appearances for the Serbian football team in its history, having played 105 matches.
Style of play
Early into his development as a footballer, Ivanović turned heads primarily for his physicality. Looking back on the beginning of the player's accomplished career, OFK Beograd's general manager Zvezdan Terzić
Zvezdan Terzić (Serbian Cyrillic: Звездан Терзић; born 21 May 1966) is a Serbian football administrator and former player. He currently serves as the general director for Red Star Belgrade of the Serbian SuperLiga.
Immediately after ...
, who signed Ivanović at age nineteen from the lower-league FK Srem
FK Srem () is a football club based in Sremska Mitrovica, Vojvodina, Serbia. They compete in the Sremska Mitrovica City League, the seventh tier of the national league system.
History
The club was founded as Građanski in 1919. They initiall ...
, stated: "I noticed him in Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...
, witnessing physical dispositions no other white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
footballer had. The way he jumped, the way he guarded the ball, his sheer physical power, his step, and initial speed, I had only seen black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
players with such abilities before. He was a traditional healthy peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...
child. He didn't have much footballing ability and awareness yet, but we gave him time and he eventually became a great player".
A tall, brave, and physical player, Ivanović is well known for his aerial ability, which when combined with his sheer strength, has seen him score numerous crucial goals during his career. Between 2008 and August 2014, Ivanović was directly involved in 60 goals during his time with Chelsea (31 goals and 29 assists). Uncharacteristically for a defender, he possesses an adept finishing ability, with former Chelsea manager José Mourinho often utilising the Serbian as a striker when the team are in desperate need of a goal. His unforgiving style of defending has led him to become a feared opponent in the Premier League, with Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling
Raheem Shaquille Sterling (born 8 December 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for club Chelsea. Born in Jamaica, he represents the England national team.
Born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents, St ...
claiming, "The scariest player to play against was Branislav Ivanović. He wasn't dirty, the guy is just a tank! A big guy, big upper body, big lower body. A real tank."
Starting from the 2014–15 season, Ivanović has also pushed higher up the pitch from his customary right-back position, becoming an effective attacking threat on crosses and overlaps with his offensive positioning and runs up the flank or into the box. He has stated that this shift in technique also allows him to "pin back" opposing wingers into their own half, taking them out of position and turning their focus on defending rather than attacking. A versatile defender, he is capable of playing anywhere across the back–line, and has often been used as a centre-back, in addition to his usual role as a right-back. He is also known for his tackling ability and overall consistency as a player. Despite his ability, he is also notorious for his lack of significant pace or technical ability, while he often favours making simpler passes to teammates with his distribution, although he is also capable of linking-up with teammates and getting up the flank to deliver crosses
Crosses may refer to:
* Cross, the symbol
Geography
* Crosses, Cher, a French municipality
* Crosses, Arkansas, a small community located in the Ozarks of north west Arkansas
Language
* Crosses, a truce term used in East Anglia and Lincolnshire ...
into the penalty area for teammates from the right wing. Moreover, he is also known for his leadership qualities, having captained his nation, with former teammate John Terry describing him as a "legend" upon his departure from the club, and as an " believable defender for us over the years and a great and big character and presence in the dressing room." His former manager Mourinho instead dubbed him as a "fantastic character."
Personal life
Ivanović's nickname is "Bane" ( sr-Cyrl, Бане), a common nickname for the name "Branislav Branislav () is a Czech, Croatian, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Slovene and Ukrainian given name. It also appears in Polish as Bronisław, in Russian as ''Bronislav,'' and Ukrainian as ''Boronyslav.'' The name is derived from the Slavic elements bran ...
". Ivanović is married to Nataša ( sr-Cyrl, Наташа, link=no), a neighbour in Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...
, with whom he has four children. He is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, St Sava. Ivanović's maternal uncle is late footballer Đorđe Milovanović
Đorđe Milovanović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Миловановић; 13 September 1956 – 15 February 2009) was a Yugoslav and later Serbian professional footballer who played as a midfielder.Red Star Belgrade
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
player; his maternal cousin is Dejan Milovanović
Dejan Milovanović ( sr-Cyrl, Дејан Миловановић; born 21 January 1984) is a Serbian retired professional footballer.
Personal
He is the son of Đorđe Milovanović, a member of Red Star Belgrade in the late 1970s and early to mid ...
, also a professional footballer, with whom he played in the junior national teams.
He is friends with Serbian tennis players Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic ( sr-Cyrl, Новак Ђоковић, translit=Novak Đoković, ; born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player. He has been ranked world No. 1 for a record total 373 weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 ...
, Jelena Janković
Jelena Janković ( sr-Cyrl, Јелена Јанковић, ; born 28 February 1985) is a Serbian former tennis player. A former world No. 1, Janković reached the top ranking before her career-best major performance, a runner-up finish at the ...
and Ana Ivanovic
Ana Schweinsteiger ( sr, Ана Швајнштајгер / ''Ana Švajnštajger''; born 6 November 1987), professionally known by her birth name Ana Ivanovic (Ана Ивановић / ''Ana Ivanović'', ), is a Serbian former world No. 1 tenn ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
:''As of match played 9 June 2018. Serbia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Ivanović goal.''
Honours
Lokomotiv Moscow
* Russian Cup: 2006–07
Chelsea
*Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
: 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
*Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
: 2014–15
*FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
: 2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
*UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
: 2011–12
*UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
: 2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
*FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
: runner-up: 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Zenit Saint Petersburg
*Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...
: 2018–19, 2019–20
*Russian Cup: 2019–20
Serbia and Montenegro U21
*UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the compe ...
runner-up: 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
Serbia U21
*UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
Individual
*UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
*PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
: 2009–10 Premier League
The 2009–10 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) 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 ...
,[ ]2014–15 Premier League
The 2014–15 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 23rd season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the ...
[
* Serbian Player of the Year: 2012, 2013
*UEFA Europa League Final Man of the Match: ]2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
* FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2014
*FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2013, 2015
*ESM Team of the Year
The European Sports Media (ESM), formerly European Sports Magazines, is an association of football-related publications in Europe.
Members
European Sports Media was established in 1989 as an international body for football journalism. Its nine fo ...
: 2014–15
*UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
Team of the Season: 2014–15
* UEFA Euro Under-21 Dream Team
See also
* List of footballers with 100 or more caps
References
External links
Player profile at Serbian National Team page
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivanovic, Branislav
1984 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Sremska Mitrovica
Serbia and Montenegro footballers
Serbian footballers
Association football defenders
FK Srem players
OFK Beograd players
FC Lokomotiv Moscow players
Chelsea F.C. players
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg players
West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
First League of Serbia and Montenegro players
Russian Premier League players
Premier League players
UEFA Champions League winning players
UEFA Europa League winning players
Serbia and Montenegro under-21 international footballers
Serbia under-21 international footballers
Serbia and Montenegro international footballers
Serbia international footballers
2010 FIFA World Cup players
2018 FIFA World Cup players
FIFA Century Club
Serbian expatriate footballers
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in Russia
Expatriate footballers in England
FA Cup Final players