Chelsea star explains how much his teammate has given to club: ‘Credit to him’

 

Chelsea pair Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic have joined up with the Serbian national squad ahead of the Wolrd Cup Qualifiers against Moldova and Austria.

Having not qualified for Euro 2016, and with a big question mark hanging around the national team, it’s really important to provide some optimism for qualification, and to show the Serbian public they have a dedicated national team to get behind.

Matic has been speaking to the media and was asked about his Chelsea teammate Ivanovic, after the defender was dropped to Chelsea’s bench against Hull City. Ivanovic losing his place has made big news in Serbia, and Matic stuck up for his colleague, and pointed out how much he’s given to Chelsea down the years.

“Bane is a top player who for eight years has given a lot at the highest level. On the other hand, the Premier League is very demanding and it is hard to physically endure one season, let alone as many years as Ivanovic.

“Branislav plays over 50 matches a year, and credit to him for that. You know that in England there are no easy matches and players there must be excellent, as Bane is.”

A couple of good games for Serbia could do both Matic and Ivanovic the world of good, and send them back to Chelsea refreshed. A couple of bad results and the pressure of Serbia’s football fans will weigh heavily on them.