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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Defender Branislav Ivanovic has left Chelsea to join Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.
The 32-year-old Serb has signed a 2½-year contract with Zenit. His deal with Chelsea had been due to expire after this season.
Speaking on Zenit's website, Ivanovic says "I think I can still play for a long time at a high level and I can seriously say that I am very happy."
With Chelsea, Ivanovic won two Premier League, one Champions League and one Europa League title.
Ivanovic, who speaks fluent Russian and spent two years with Lokomotiv Moscow prior to joining Chelsea in 2008, will join a Zenit team which is five points off the lead in the Russian league.
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