Defensive stalwart Branislav Ivanovic ended his hugely successful Chelsea career on Wednesday when he signed for Zenit Saint Petersburg for an undisclosed fee.
Return to Russia
The 32-year-old Serbian has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with an option of another year. “I had a strong desire to return to Russia,” Ivanovic, who scored five goals in 54 matches for Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006/07 before joining Chelsea in 2008, told Zenit’S website. “I feel high motivation and a desire to continue playing at the highest level.”
Honours
Ivanovic won two Premier League titles, one Uefa Champions League, three FA Cups, one League Cup and scored the winning goal in the 2013 Europa League final during his spell at Chelsea. He is one of only five foreign players – along with Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel, Petr Cech and Gianfranco Zola – to reach the 300-game landmark for the West London club.
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■ Richard Jolly: Branislav Ivanovic, a fading force, but a Chelsea warrior
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‘True Chelsea legend’
He featured in 13 league outings for Chelsea this term, scoring his last goal for Antonio Conte’s table-toppers in Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup fourth round defeat of Brentford. Chelsea tweeted that Ivanovic, who has 82 caps and is captain of Serbia, was “a true Chelsea legend”.
Terry tribute
Chelsea captain John Terry paid tribute to his teammate, describing Ivanovic as a “legend” in an Instagram post. “Unbelievable defender for us over the years and a great and big character and presence in the dressing room,” Terry wrote.
Transfer
Even though the English transfer window closed on Tuesday, Premier League clubs can sell to teams in countries whose window remains open, such as Russia. Zenit, who are managed by Mircea Lucescu, are 17 games into their Russian Premier League campaign and sit five points behind leaders Spartak Moscow. The Russian league is on a three-month winter break and will resume in March.
* Agencies
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