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‘I will certainly play’: Ronaldinho confirms professional football return at 46 with Italian club Ravenna
Ronaldinho has confirmed he will play an official match for Ravenna at 46, returning to professional football 11 years after his last competitive appearance.
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. 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 joined the Serie C club both as part of its wider ownership project and as a registered player.
For all the spectacle surrounding his arrival, one question had remained above everything else: would Ronaldinho actually play professional football again?
Speaking to Flashscore before his presentation, the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner gave an emphatic answer. “Yes, it’s true! Let’s say it’s a challenge for me, too. I will certainly play a few minutes in an official match, then we’ll see how I feel,” Ronaldinho said. Asked about concerns over his fitness after such a long period away from competitive football, he added: “My fitness? I’ll do my best. In any case, I will be part of the Ravenna project, and I can tell you there are many new developments to come.”
Ronaldinho last played professionally for Brazilian club Fluminense in 2015. His proposed appearance for Ravenna will therefore mark his first competitive outing in 11 years.
Ronaldinho wants one final goal
There is also a specific, and deliberately romantic, objective attached to his return. 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. “This is not a simple facade or a marketing ‘play’ to get people talking about us. Ronaldinho will become a shareholder in Ravenna. That is the central point of the operation,” Cipriani said. “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.”
Ronaldinho's involvement therefore goes considerably beyond the promotional value of having one of football's most recognisable players attached to a Serie C club. Ravenna officially announced in June that the Brazilian would be registered as a player. Ronaldinho himself said at the time that he could not wait to “dance with the ball” again, before now confirming that he intends to play competitive minutes.
His arrival in Italy has only intensified the excitement. Around 6,000 supporters turned up for Thursday night's presentation despite intermittent rain, with Ronaldinho walking onto the stage as Ravenna's new No. 10.
He also addressed his role after reaching Ravenna, saying he had come “to bring enthusiasm to my teammates and entertainment”. Asked about the possibility of getting back on the pitch and scoring, Ronaldinho said: “If it happens, it will be even more beautiful.”
The exact match in which the Brazilian will make his return has not yet been announced. 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.
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.
