Branislav Ivanovic
Wednesday, 03 June 2009 16:54
Nationality SerbianD.O.B. 22/02/1984
Height 6' 2"
Weight 86.00kg
Previous Clubs OFK Belgrade, Lokomotiv Moscow
Position Defender
Signed from Lokomotiv Moscow on a three-and-a-half year contract, Branislav became then manager Avram Grant's second signing in the January 2008 transfer window, following on from the arrival of Nicolas Anelka.
Having begun his career in his native Serbia at local club Sremska Mitrovica, he soon moved to the Serbian capital Belgrade to play for OFK Beograd where he remained for three seasons, joining Lokomotiv in the summer of 2006. He appeared for the Russian side in the Uefa Cup.
A star of Serbia's Under 21s in both the 2006 and 2007 European Championships, Branislav was voted into the Uefa Team of the Tournament for the more recent event, and has successfully graduated into a regular for the full national side.
He made his Serbia and Montenegro debut in June 2006, and is now a regular in the centre of the Serbian defence alongside Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic.
Branislav played twice for the Chelsea reserve team during the remainder of the 2007/08 season as he worked up to full fitness, ready to stake a claim for a place in the first team.
A debut came in the Carling Cup away at Portsmouth in late September, relieving Jose Bosingwa of right-back duties for the evening, before a lengthier spell in the heart of defence alongside John Terry, after injury to Ricardo Carvalho and Alex.
Now settled in London and his English steadily improving, Branislav has begun to show his true capabilities, while also earning cult status among Chelsea fans for his Champions League double against Liverpool in April.
Deployed at centre-half, the Serb went up for two corners and was almost ignored as the threat of Terry and Drogba was deemed more dangerous by Liverpool, allowing him to ghost in and crash home two headers.
