Branislav Ivanović

Branislav Ivanović (Бранислав Ивановић, ; born 22 February 1984) is a Serbian former professional footballer.

A versatile defender, Ivanović played as a right back, although he could also play as a centre back.

Ivanović began his career with hometown club FK Srem.

Ivanović made his first football steps with FK Srem 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.

In December 2003, Ivanović joined OFK Beograd, in what was then the First League of Serbia and Montenegro.

Brought in by the club's general manager Zvezdan Terzić, 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.

In January 2004 he transferred to top division side OFK Beograd.

During his time with Belgrade, his team performed above expectations, even reaching the semi-finals of the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

After two years of playing in Serbia's top division, Ivanović began courting interest from clubs across Europe.

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.

In January 2006, Ivanović was signed by Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow.

Coached by compatriot Slavoljub Muslin, 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.

In his second and final season at Loko, Ivanović—by now a key member of the squad led by the incoming head coach Anatoliy Byshovets—made 26 league appearances and scored three goals.

Lokomotiv again fell short in the league but won the Russian Cup, defeating FC Moscow 1–0 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Two years later, he moved to Russia to play for Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League, where he would spend two seasons, winning his first honour, the 2007 Russian Cup.

Despite the substantial price tag, Ivanović did not make a first team appearance for Chelsea during the 2007–08 Premier League season under manager Avram Grant.

The reason given by the club was a lack of match fitness as a result of the Russian Premier League season'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.

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.

In January 2008, Ivanović was signed by Premier League side Chelsea for a £9 million fee.

He won nine major honours with Chelsea, including three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

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 in terms of goals scored by a defender for Chelsea.

Additionally, Ivanović was twice named in the PFA Team of the Year.

On 15 January 2008, English Premier League side Chelsea confirmed that the club had agreed terms with Lokomotiv for Ivanović's transfer, subject to the agreement of personal terms and the passing of a medical, having beaten competition from the likes of Milan, Ajax, Juventus and Internazionale for his signature.

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.

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.

He represented the nation at their first international tournament as an independent country, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and was appointed captain of the national team in 2012.

He returned to Russia in February 2017, joining Zenit on a free transfer.

He was captain until just prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup where he also represented Serbia.

In that competition he became the most capped player in the history of the Serbia national team, with 105 matches.

Ivanović was born into a family with a sporting history, his father Rade played for local team FK Srem as a defender.

Ivanović played youth football for various teams in his home town Sremska Mitrovica.

Until the age of 15, he played as a striker, before switching to his current position in defence.