Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho has announced a surprise return to the game at the age of 46, signing with Italian third-tier club Ravenna and setting his sights on one final milestone.
Thousands of supporters gathered at a city beach in Ravenna for an event dubbed “Ronaldinho Day,” braving the rain to welcome the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker, who had retired from professional football in 2015.
“I’m very happy to be here with friends, we have a team that can do something good,” Ronaldinho said at his unveiling.
He was coy about how much game time fans can actually expect. Asked whether he would take the field, he explained the decision was out of his hands. “Will you see me play? I don’t know, only the coach knows that,” he said. “Coming back to Italy is wonderful, I’m here to help my teammates win.”
He sounded confident about his fitness, adding, “As you can see, I’m in shape, I feel good.” He then pointed to the number driving his return. “If I could score my 300th goal, that would be even more beautiful,” he said.
Ronaldinho played his last official match for Brazilian club Fluminense in September 2015. During his career, he won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, scoring the winner against England in the quarter-final, and went on to claim the Ballon d’Or in 2005.
Ravenna owner Ignazio Cipriani first revealed the comeback plan back in June and has pushed back on suggestions it is a publicity exercise. “His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal,” Cipriani said. He was firm on the point, noting, “His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us.”
Cipriani confirmed Ronaldinho will not be involved when Ravenna open their Serie C season against Reggiana on Monday. The club finished third in Group B last season and are aiming for promotion to Serie B this year.
