Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic | Serbia & Chelsea Superstar

Fred spoke fondly about Manchester United teammate Nemanja Matic shortly after Brazil’s 2-0 win over Serbia at the group stage of the World Cup. Matic played the entire game for the Serbians who witnessed an exit from the global tournament but Fred nevertheless hailed the midfielder after he swapped shirts with him following the game.

In a report covered by ESPN, Fred said: “It was a nice chat with him, he welcomed me for coming to the great club that is Manchester. We exchanged shirts, too, he will be a great teammate.It's a big change, but I have not stopped yet ... It still hasn't set in, I'm very focused here on the World Cup.I do not think much about it, but it's a great club in Europe, it's one of the biggest, so I'm very happy for that.”

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes England have a good chance of winning the summer World Cup with the ‘frightening talent’ within the group of players. The 22-year-old enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with Crystal Palace last term and he is now expected to play a key role for the Three Lions after being picked in Gareth Southgate’s squad.

Speaking to reporters, Loftus-Cheek admitted that the Three Lions have the capability to spring a surprise at this summer’s World Cup despite their average record at major tournaments of late, he said: “I think it would be stupid to rule us out. In training, you look about at the talent and it's frightening. I think we have a good chance. The squad is so young but so good at the same time. If we can deliver when it matters – and the boys can do that – we could have a really good tournament.”

Serbia international Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has said that he could become a future playmaker and compares himself to Yaya Toure than Zinedine Zidane. The Lazio midfielder has been compared with France great Zidane by several publications around Italy but the 23-year-old has revealed his preference to play at the heart of the midfield.

Speaking to FIFA.com, the Serbian said: "I see myself as more of a Yaya Toure. I think that I'm in a really good place right now. Pressure? I love pressure, it gets the best out of me. That's when I feel the best and give maximum on the pitch – those who know me can confirm that. "I am absolutely ready for Russia. If I need to earn the trust of the head coach [Mladen] Krstajic, I will do my best to justify that."

Former Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell is open to the idea of watching Mauricio Pochettino become the next head coach at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine has done a credible job in developing Tottenham Hotspur into a top-four side but his future at Spurs remains uncertain beyond the summer.

Recent reports have surprisingly linked Pochettino with a move to Chelsea, and Sidwell fancies the prospect of the 46-year-old managing the Blues, he told TalkSPORT: “There’s no smoke without fire so there’s probably an element of truth in there, and you look at it the other way where he [Pochettino] is looking for contract renewals - or maybe his agent has put the idea in there - to buck Spurs’ ideas up. But if it is true I’d welcome it with open arms. He’s been fantastic since he came to the country; what he did with Southampton was brilliant.”

Serbia have decided to strip Branislav Ivanovic from the captaincy ahead of the upcoming international friendlies against Morocco and Nigeria. Aleksandar Kolarov is now expected to lead the national side with Nemanja Matic appointed as the vice-captain. Speaking in a news conference, Serbian head coach Mladen Krstajić said: “Kolarov, the new captain, and (Nemanja) Matic, his deputy, have the power to follow in Ivanovic’s footsteps. We have made a decision which remains an internal matter but I want to make it clear there is no misunderstanding with Ivanovic who remains part of the team.”

The decision to strip Ivanovic from the leadership role does not come as a surprise, given the 34-year-old had shown the lack of pace during the World Cup qualification phase which was criticised by the fans and pundits alike.

Chelsea and Manchester United have played out some fierce games over the past decade and this Saturday the pair go head-to-head for silverware once more. The two clubs meet at Wembley for this season’s FA Cup Final, with no love-lost between managers Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, another intense clash is expected. We take a look at the betting odds ahead of this game and which bets are being backed by punters.

If you’re a looking for the latest football betting odds, then we recommended checking out Team FA for all the latest football betting odds and tips. They offer recommended bets as well as previews that keep their followers updated with the latest football betting odds and which bets offer the best value.

Former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic said that he is happy playing for Zenit St Petersburg. At 34 years old the defender is enjoying a new lease of life with the Russian club and said that he is feeling better and better.

Indeed the defender was instrumental in his team beating Celtic and moving to the next round of the UEFA Cup. Branislav Ivanovic scored the first goal of the game and then assisted in the third goal for his team in the match that they won 3-0.

Branislav Ivanovic feels that he has made the right thing by joining Zenit St Petersburg and that he feels at home there. He said that the fans have welcomed him and that they all provide wonderful support.

Zenit St Petersburg manager Roberto Mancini has admitted that he is missing his time with Italy, and would like to manage the Azzurri at some stage of his managerial career. The former Manchester City head coach has done a reasonable job with Zenit this season, and they are presently 10 points off league leaders Lokomotiv Moscow.

Zenit St Petersburg defender Branislav Ivanovic is relishing the prospect of a reunion with Celtic forward Scott Sinclair. The pair had spent two seasons together at Chelsea before the latter decided to join Swansea City under then-boss Brendan Rodgers in 2010.

German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig are expected to see off any threat from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg when both sides clash in the Europa League on Thursday. Their star forward Timo Werner will be instrumental as the German heavyweight (currently taking the Bundesliga by storm) look at booking a quarter final spot in the continental tournament.

Werner is the youngest player to reach 150 league appearances in the history of the German top flight. He reached the milestone over the weekend when they played VfB Stuggart. He was 22 years and six days. The forward was involved as the club