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Posted

Interview

Bransilav Ivanovic has claimed John Terry is an inspiration to him as he battles to earn a place alongside the England skipper at Chelsea.

The former Lokomotiv Moscow stopper was barely used by the West Londoners following his arrival last January, until breaking into the side under Luiz Felipe Scolari recently.

After watching from the sidelines as Terry endured prolonged abuse from the home fans in the 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, Ivanovic has stressed that the Champions League final penalty miss is forgotten.

"For him, it was a nightmare but I think Terry has become even stronger after the penalty kick," he declared to Sport Express.

"It was all the harder for John. He was the captain and the man who had been at the club since childhood and wanted win even more than the others.

"But everyone has some dark days in their career. It is down to what happens next.

"When I returned to Chelsea for pre-season, nothing in the final was remembered."

The Serbian is getting used to life in England and, although refusing to rule out a return to Russia, is happy to fight for a first-team spot at Stamford Bridge.

"Of course, any player coming to Great Britain needs some time to get accustomed," he explained. "When you get used to the way training sessions are held and the way the team prepares for games you can play every three days.

"At the moment I am ready physically and psychologically to play in such a regime.

"When I first came to Chelsea, I did not even think of staying after training. But then I saw how others behave, headed by the very captain, John Terry. To have the chance and prove that you have the right for a place in the main team you must be in your best form in any moment.

"Your fate depends only on you. There is a common rule - the better you train the better you play. And there is no other way.

"When I just joined the club, I got a slight injury but when I recovered and returned in the squad, I was not given a chance. Of course I was disappointed.

"At the beginning of this season, I also did not play but, after a couple of months, I entered the field and showed what I can do.

"Though I understand that this is only the first step. I must work much harder as I understand that I can play much better. But I am happy there is progress, while if there was none, I should have started to think my situation over and probably even the possible transfer.

"In such a great club, the competition is very high but I can call it positive. Progress is impossible without it. We have the common goal – to win trophies.

"The coach is the one to decide who is going to play and no-one doubts the validity of his choice. Every player must be ready to show, firstly in the training session, and then during the game that he is stronger than others. And you will have a place in the starting squad.

"I cannot exclude the possibility of my returning to Russia, you should not plan such things. I can say only one thing - I felt good in Russia."



Posted

I have read the interview in full in Russian sports daily Sport Express. The interesting points are:

1. He was impressed with Chelsea players' attitude and professionalism when it came to training, especially JT who'd regularly stayed after the team training to work on his own which influenced Ivanovic to follow suit.

2.Scolari was pleasantly surprised with the players attitude towards training because in his own words Brazilian players he used to deal with are typically not too fond of it.

Apparently when he speaks about the game plan before the match one of the Portugese speaking players helps him out and translates certain parts to the rest of the squad when it comes to some nuances or details. But when it comes to Scolari talking to Portugese or Brazilian players he always does it in English. Apparently, on the first training day JT said on behalf of the squad in front of the whole team: " We want to help you. If you don't understand something we're willing to explain, if it takes time, everyone is ready to wait as long as needed."

3.Ivanovic denies all the transfer rumors, said he never thought of leaving. Was disappointed to get injured soon after joining but now feels he's getting better, and more or less adapted to the new country and league. Says Scolari likes his work in training and also believes he'll have a better chance of playing because he can play anywhere across defense but LFS prefers him at the center.

4. Said Sheva as the only Russian speaking player at the time of his arrival helped him out a lot,was very down to earth person despite his superstar status and was depressed due to persistent back injury that prevented him from getting into his best shape. Jarosik who he had dinner with soon after signing contract with Chelsea told him not to worry about the atmosphere in a new club and it proved to be correct. Despite competition for the places in the starting eleven Branislav had only good things to say about his teammates, especially his fellow centrebacks JT,Carvs and Alex who he called "great guys".

5.Met Roman several times and apparently RA is still very passionate about his plaything. When asked about the club cutting costs when it comes to tickets for the players and end of free cafeteria food he replied that he heard of it but no decision has been made as of yet.

6.Hopes to play more due to his versatility and promises to get better.

Posted

He might just be saying all the right things, but if half of this is true, hopefully the dressing room is still intact and something can be salvaged from this season. Because he paints a picture of a team that still cares and believes in their manager, despite what we are seeing every match.

I love this kid, and I hope what he says about staying put is true. He is a future stud, is better than Skrtel and imo will soon be the equal of Vidic. We would be mad to let him go at this point.

Abramovich, thanks for sharing this, and the translation, buddy



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