The former Barcelona and AC Milan superstar is already in Ravenna after arriving in Italy on Thursday and being presented to thousands of supporters at a beachside event at Marina di Ravenna. Ronaldinho has confirmed that he will make an extraordinary return to professional football at the age of 46, more than a decade after his last competitive appearance, with the Brazilian legend promising to play in an official match for Italian third-tier club Ravenna. Ronaldinho has joined the Serie C club both as part of its wider ownership project and as a registered player.
Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani has confirmed that Ronaldinho will take the field in an official professional match, with the club hoping the Brazilian can score the final goal of his career in their colours. The exact match in which the Brazilian will make his return has not yet been announced. There is also a specific, and deliberately romantic, objective attached to his return. “This is not a simple facade or a marketing ‘play’ to get people talking about us. Ronaldinho will become a shareholder in Ravenna. “In addition, he has decided to make an immense gift to this city and his new team: he will take to the field for an official professional match with Ravenna. He will play with one clear and romantic objective: to try to score the final goal of his career. But whether Ronaldinho will play is no longer the question. Eleven years after his last professional appearance, the Brazilian has made his intention clear: he will put the boots back on for Ravenna, even if initially only for a few minutes, in pursuit of one final goal.
That is the central point of the operation,” Cipriani said. He will not feature in Ravenna’s Serie C opener away to Reggiana on Monday, with the timing and extent of his involvement to be determined by the club and coach Andrea Mandorlini.
