Zenit St Petersburg defender Branislav Ivanovic has paid tribute to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

The Serb won everything available in the game as a Chelsea player before leaving for Russia.

He told Zenit's website: "For me, this is one of the most important people in my career, I will repeat it again and again. Especially when I first arrived in London, he supported me, and I really appreciate him.

"I think he changed the football world, becoming the first to invest so much in football, after which many clubs got the same idea.

"He is a very intelligent person, of course, and has achieved great success. I hope to see him at Stamford Bridge soon."