Branislav Ivanovic signs with Chelsea for five and a half years
Chelsea Football Club’s talented defender, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Branislav-Ivanovic-c7994, has signed a five and a half year extension to his existing contract. The new contract ensures that the Serbian will remain at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2016.
While commenting on the contract extension, Ivanovic said, "It is good news for me, it is a very big step for me in my career and I want to give my maximum and try to help Chelsea win a lot more trophies. 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 has managed to play 99 games since arriving at Chelsea from his previous team, Lokomotiv Moscow in 2008. It is his versatility and aggressive style of play in the centre-back and right-back positions that has helped Chelsea to become a more balanced and
competitive team.
At the age of 22, Ivanovic joined Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006, where he quickly established himself as a regular starter and eventually earned a place in the Serbian national team. In 2008, he gained the attention of top football teams Inter, Ajax, Juventus
and AC Milan, but it was Chelsea who secured his signature for 10-million-pounds.
In his first season with Chelsea, Ivanovic did not make a single appearance on the pitch. He was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge the following summer, but new Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari assured the Serbian that he was in his plans for the next
season.
Ivanovic finally made his first appearance for Chelsea in September 2008 against Portsmouth after a wait of eight months on the bench. A month later he made his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. He was continually the
subject of attention from other clubs, but Chelsea had no intention of trading him. The most memorable moment of his career came in the 2008-09 Champion’s league quarter-final against Liverpool, where he scored two goals for Chelsea. These goals proved to
be critical, as Chelsea won 7-5 on aggregate. Ivanovic’s performance in this quarter-final earned him a regular place in the Chelsea line-up.
The Serbian has been a very useful player during the Barclays Premier League 2010-11 season for Chelsea, after http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ricardo-Carvalho-c30973 left for Real Madrid. He has made 22 league starts out of the 25 matches that Chelsea has played this season.
Ivanovic has earned a reputation of being a big match player, as he consistently performs at the highest level against top sides. The new contract extension will give the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 fans something to cheer about for the next five and a half years.
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