Player Profile: Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Inanovic is a Serbian professional football player who currently plays in the Barclays Premier League with the West London side, Chelsea. Rated as one of the best defenders in world football at the moment, the Serbian had a rather modest beginning to his career at Chelsea.
Both of Ivanovic’s parents had sporting backgrounds and so the Serbian had an interest in sports from the very start. Playing initially in his home town team Srem, Ivanovic transferred to OFK Beograd in the 2003 winter transfer window.
Ivanovic had his first major breakthrough when he signed for Locomotiv Moscow, he was recruited by his fellow countryman Slavoljub Muslin. The 22 year old immediately became an established player in the Russian side, performing outstandingly in the league in particular, where he made 28 appearances, scoring on two occasions. Due to his contribution, and those of others, Locomotiv almost won the league title but in the end they fell a little short and Ivanovic had to wait until his first title in Russian Football.
In the following season, Ivanovic added more value to his growing reputation as he was irreplaceable in the Locomotiv Moscow team and won his only major honour in Russian football, as Locomotiv claimed the Russian Cup in 2007. Ivanovic made 26 appearances in the league and scored on three occasions, something which separates him from your average defender.
In January, 2008, Ivanovic signed for the English Giants Chelsea for a reported 9.7 Million Pounds. Due to his impressive performances, Ivanovic had a host of clubs to choose from which included the likes of A.C. Milan, Juventus and Inter but he eventually decided to join Chelsea, in a move that has ultimately proved to be a very smart choice for the Serbian.
Unfortunately for Ivanovic, due to the Russian football season closing months before his move, he was not fit enough to start any games for the Chelsea first team during the 2007-2008 League season. This also meant that when the next club season started, he had to be content with a place on the bench, since other players had established themselves in his position. This was something new for the Serbian, as he would normally have expected to start games after his hefty price tag but as he found out, price means nothing at the highest level and he had to start from scratch.
Ivanovic made a slow start to the next season but by the end of it, despite injuries and a change of management, he had become one of the most reliable players in the first team. Scoring twice against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League made him an instant favourite with the fans, something which has grown with time due to his no nonsense approach to football.
At the International level, Ivanovic became a regular on the Serbian side which qualified for the World Cup, in South Africa. Partnering the Manchester United Center Back, Nemanja Vidic, Ivanovic showed what a versatile player he was.
For Chelsea, the last season was the best by far for Ivanovic who used the injury to Bosingwa to his advantage and became a regular in the side. The season ended with a double for Chelsea. Ivanovic was one of the best players in the side and will be looking to build on his impressive performances in the coming season as Chelsea look to defend their Premier League crown and try to win the elusive Champions League trophy.
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