Chelsea FC defender Branislav Ivanovic sat down with Four Four Two for an exclusive
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interview where he discussed the Serbia national team, Jose Mourinho, his favorite position to play, all things Chelsea FC, and much more. Ivanovic is one of the elder statesmen at Chelsea FC and he has been around long enough to win six trophies with the Blues so he knows a thing or two about winning football.
In this interview, the full length of which you can read here, Branislav Ivanovic mentions what seems like a hundred times that he values winning trophies above all else. It is a fascinating insight in to the mind of our ultra competitive fullback but here are some of the best bits:
On Nemanja Matic:
"Nemanja is first of all a phenomenal player. We are very good friends, we and our families spend time together often, and we will surely stay friends after the end of our careers. His arrival meant a lot to me, to him and to Chelsea. He came at the right time to the right place. He is one of the leaders of our play and he means a lot to us."
On Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa:
"I knew that they were top players, so I can’t say that they have been better than I expected. They proved their class. They were key signings – with them, things clicked and the puzzle came together. Cesc with his pace, aggression and experience from Champions League, and Diego with his coolness in front of goal and his efficiency – they immediately made an impact."
On Eden Hazard being compared to Lionel Messi:
"Hazard is a quality player and he has the qualities to play even better. It’s hard to say how close he is to Messi, when we know about all the records of Messi, but for us at Chelsea he is like Messi for Barcelona.Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ivanovic-why-i-call-jose-perfect-one-and-dont-care-about-being-underrated#howge6LMbYyO3YVr.99"
On Jose Mourinho being “The Perfect One”:
"I can’t think of any specific examples, but he does like to make jokes – not seldom, but very often. They call him The Special One, but I like to refer to him as The Perfect One. His results speak for him. I think that he is the most intelligent coach: he knows what he wants. He knows when to tighten up and when to loosen up. He knows what to demand from the team and from an individual player, and he knows how to deal with stress situations and to relax the atmosphere. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with him."
Well we think Jose Mourinho is perfect too, Branna. As one of the leaders of the Chelsea FC clubhouse, Ivanovic’s carry a great deal of weight and it is fantastic to see him praise his teammates and manager so highly. This is the type of outspoken leadership the Blues will need once John Terry departs and it is reassuring to know they already someone ready to step in to that role.
Source: Four Four Two
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