Ivanović sets sights on Serbia success
Monday, June 11, 2007
Article summary
Serbia captain Branislav Ivanović is hoping it is third time lucky as his side prepare to kick off in Group A with yet another game against five-time winners Italy.
Article body
Serbia captain Branislav Ivanović is hoping it is third time lucky as his side prepare to get their UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group B campaign under way against five-time winners Italy.
Advantage of experience
The 23-year-old FC Lokomotiv Moskva centre-back was part of the Serbia and Montenegro squad that reached the 2004 final, only to lose 3-0 to Italy with Ivanović picking up a late red card, and also reached the last four in Portugal a year ago before bowing out in a penalty shoot-out against Ukraine. "It's my third tournament and a third story," Ivanović told uefa.com. "I have brilliant memories from the first two but this is our big chance to show what we can do. We're a really experienced team and, if we show that on the pitch, it could be to our advantage. We have the saying 'third time lucky' and hopefully that will be the case.
'Finish the job'
"We have individual quality and collectively we work very well together," added Ivanović, who with 33 U21 caps is the most experienced player in the 23-man Serbia squad and one of six to have played senior international football. "We all have our duties and all of us must do our jobs properly. We have three or four leaders in the team but if we were to go on to win this and I were to lift the trophy, I would be the happiest person in the world. A few of the squad have had the chance to play for the senior team and that was a great experience. I want to get back there but for now I'm captain of the U21s and I want to finish this job."
Sweden success
Serbia qualified in dramatic fashion, winning the second leg of their play-off with Sweden 5-0 to overturn a 3-0 home defeat, and their captain feels that can be a marker, adding: "The play-off showed the worst and the best of us; in Sweden we showed all our qualities and if we play like that here, we could do something great. We hope that match will be our guide for the future, although we couldn't have had a harder start. Italian teams are tactical masters and the match will go a long way towards deciding our destiny. The most important thing is to play well and after the match we must be able to look each other in the eye and say honestly, 'That was our best'. Then the result takes care of itself."
