Forty-six-year-old Brazil legend Ronaldinho will make his first competitive start in more than a decade when Italian third-division club Ravenna face local rivals Forlì on Sunday, BBC reported.
The former Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker has not played a competitive match since September 2015, when he featured for Brazilian side Fluminense. Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini confirmed on Friday that the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner will feature among his side’s three forwards for the Serie C Group B fixture at the Stadio Bruno Benelli.
➡️ ICYMI❗ Brazil legend Ronaldinho will officially make his return to competitive football at the age of 46 on Sunday evening. MORE: https://t.co/PKs9o0sOhp pic.twitter.com/fREABJ93F8
“He will play from the start, there’s no doubt,” Mandorlini told reporters. “Then together we will decide how long he plays.”
Ronaldinho initially joined the Italian club as an investor in August, but club officials have emphasized that his return to the pitch carries a specific personal milestone. Club owner Ignazio Cipriani stated earlier this year that the attacker harbours ambitions of scoring one final goal to reach a career total of 300 goals.
🔙🇧🇷 Ronaldinho starts for Ravenna in their game against Forlí today, Italian 3rd division. 46 years old, back on the pitch with Ravenna. Ronaldinho would reach 300 career goals if he scores today — currently at 299 since 2016 when he retired. pic.twitter.com/EyET9oFH4M
“His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal,” Cipriani said. “His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us.”
The Brazilian arrived in Italy on Friday, logging a single training session with his new teammates ahead of the Romagna derby. Ravenna teammate Simone Rabbi said that the veteran icon will also take any penalties awarded to the team, which currently sits second in the table after 13 matches.
Ravenna enters Sunday’s fixture holding strong form, having won four of their last five league matches, including a 3-1 victory over Campobasso and a 4-0 win against Vis Pesaro. Forlì arrives in fourteenth place following a 1-0 win against Gubbio that halted a difficult run of results.
Organizers constructed a temporary 1,800-seat stand, named R10, at the Benelli stadium to accommodate heightened crowd interest for the match, which kicks off on Sunday at 17:30 local time and will be broadcast on Sky Sport Calcio.
Ronaldinho, ready to feature today in Italian 3rd division: Ravenna vs Forlí. 46 years old, set to come out of retirement for one day. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/yxnTsVk1If
“I’m happy because after so long I can get back on the pitch,” Ronaldinho told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I like the idea of being able to bring joy to these new fans of mine.”