Ronaldinho will return to professional football on November 15, when he will make his debut for Ravenna in the home derby against Forli. The match of the 14th round of Serie C is scheduled for 17:30 at the “Bruno Benelli“ stadium.
Ravenna officially confirmed the participation of the 46-year-old Brazilian. Until now, he had not recorded a single minute for the club, although he signed in June and was presented to the fans in August at a special ceremony on the beach in Marina di Ravenna.
“The whole football world thought it was too good to be true, but instead we can now officially confirm a spectacular return“, the club said. In a statement, Ravenna described the match as an event that would draw attention to the Bruno Benelli stadium.
The Brazilian's last professional match was for Fluminense in 2015. After his career ended, he played in exhibition and charity matches, but had not played an official match in a professional championship for more than a decade.
Ronaldinho is a 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil, winner of the 2005 Ballon d'Or, and a former player for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Milan. With Barcelona, he won the Spanish championship twice, the Champions League, and the award for the best player in the world.
Ravenna is managed by Ignazio Cipriani, who is behind the Cipriani restaurant brand. He said that he dreams of Ronaldinho scoring the last goal of his professional career with the Italian club.
It has not yet been announced how much time the Brazilian will spend on the field. It has only been confirmed that he will be part of Ravenna's squad for the derby with Forli on November 15.