Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport
Serbian superstar Branislav Ivanovic has said Chelsea boss Frank Lampard “is the right person at the right place and he will be successful at any job he takes.”
Ivanovic also said Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard was “not well physically” after his injury-stricken season.
Zenit Saint Petersburg defender Ivanovic, 35, made the comments during an interview with Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’ as his club trains in the city of Benidorm located in the Valencia autonomous community in the eastern Spanish coast.
When speaking about his initial days at Chelsea, Ivanovic said: “I did not play much, I had no experience and the squad was already established.
“It was a difficult time. Avram Grant was the manager then but Scolari arrived in June and gave me some minutes.
“Hiddink came after and gave me a big opportunity. I played a lot of matches for him, I gained confidence and my best moment was with Ancelotti.”
The defender went on to praise Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, 41, saying: “Frank is the right person at the right place and he will be successful at any job he takes.
“The problem managers have is they need results and titles, but I think he is doing a fantastic job and it is not easy. If he manages as well as he played…”
Ivanovic also spoke about Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard and his injury-stricken season saying: “I think he is not well physically.
“He was injured a couple of times but the whole world knows that Hazard is one of the best and he will prove it. For me, he is one of the best players with excellent quality.
“I wish him all the success and luck. Of course, without injury, it would be easier. Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world and the pressure is different than the Premier League, but I think he is a player that can face that.”
When speaking about their time together at Chelsea, Ivanovic said: “I was lucky to not play much against him but I enjoyed watching him play against other defenders.
“In a short time, he made Chelsea fly. I hope he gets better physically and starts giving his maximum to Real Madrid.”
Hazard was bought by Real Madrid for a reported 90 million GBP last summer, but has not given the expected results after suffering an ankle injury which has kept him out of action for two months.
Ivanovic helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2012 and Premier League three times. He now plays at Zenit where he won the Russian Premier League last year and are set to repeat the same feat this year.
They sit top of the league with 45 points, 10 ahead of the second-placed FC Krasnodar.
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