Branislav Ivanović (, ; born 22 February 1984) is a Serbian former professional footballer. A versatile defender, he operated mainly as a right-back.
Ivanović began his career with hometown club FK Srem. In January 2004 he transferred to top division side OFK Beograd. 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. In January 2008, Ivanović was signed by Premier League side Chelsea for a £12 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. He returned to Russia in February 2017, joining Zenit on a free transfer. He then returned to England and the Premier League, joining West Bromwich Albion in 2020, before departing the club at the end of the 2020–21 season, retiring from professional football after.
Ivanović was first capped for Serbia & Montenegro in June 2005, and since became 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 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 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.
Early life 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.
Club career Early career 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.
OFK Beograd 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.
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.
Lokomotiv Moscow
In January 2006, Ivanović was signed by Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow.
2006 season 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.
2007 season 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.
Chelsea
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.
2007–08 season 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.
2008–09 season
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 later admitted to being very close to leaving the club, citing advice and encouragement from teammate Andriy Shevchenko 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 in the League Cup on 24 September and afterwards receiving approval for his man-to-man marking and aerial play from newly arrived manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. Ivanović soon went on to make his Premier League debut, starting against Aston Villa 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 with the contest already decided at 0–3 when Scolari sent him on to replace José Bosingwa. It would be Ivanović's starting performance at right back in League Cup against the second-tier Championship side Burnley 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, starting four consecutive matches, including three league contests as well as his Champions League debut away at Bordeaux. It would be the performance at home versus Arsenal 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'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. On 27 January, his agent Vlado Borozan confirmed ongoing negotiations with the club's sporting director Pantaleo Corvino, however, on 1 February, Italian player agent Ernesto Bronzeti said Chelsea appeared unwilling to sell Ivanović and that he will likely remain in London, which is what happened in the end.
Chelsea were in a poor run of form, culminating with a 2–0 loss away at Liverpool 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 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, 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 Serbia national team in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier away at Romania. 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. 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.McNulty, Phil (8 April 2009). Liverpool 1–3 Chelsea BBC Sport Retrieved on 9 April 2009 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, meaning that he did not play in the second leg, and he also sat out the FA Cup final.
2009–10 season
Beginning the season under yet another new manager in Carlo Ancelotti, 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. 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, which Chelsea won 3–1 through goals from Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Deco. In September, Ivanović made his first Champions League appearance of the season against Porto 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 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. 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, the influential Spanish sports tabloid that maintains strong links to Real Madrid. The accompanying piece claimed that Real was after Ivanović as a replacement for their injured centre back Pepe.
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's Internazionale, the eventual winners of the competition, Ivanović ran a majority of the pitch before passing to Salomon Kalou, who scored Chelsea's equaliser. He was named in the 2009–10 PFA Team of the Year in the right-back position.
2010–11 season