Ronaldinho makes surprise return after 11 years retirement

During the summer, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Ronaldinho would return to professional football 11 years after his last competitive match, with Italian Serie C club Ravenna becoming his new team.

Ronaldinho was officially presented by Ravenna in late June. Although the club did not reveal full details of his agreement, president Ignazio Cipriani confirmed that the 46-year-old Ballon d’Or winner will play in at least one Serie C match.

Who is Cipriani, and will Ronaldinho really play?

Cipriani bought Ravenna in 2024 when the club were playing in Serie D. In his first season as president, Ravenna won the Serie D Cup and earned promotion to Serie C.

However, Cipriani has much bigger ambitions for the club.

“This is not a provocation. Serie A is the goal I announced from day one, and I intend to achieve it. The Champions League remains the ultimate horizon toward which we want to move step by step,” Cipriani said.

This summer, Ravenna surprised the football world by officially registering Ronaldinho as a player.

Cipriani explained that the idea came after building a relationship with the Brazilian legend through people who previously worked with him at AC Milan.

Ronaldinho was later officially presented in Miami, where he posed with Ravenna shirts alongside his Ballon d’Or trophy.

However, his agreement is unusual. Ronaldinho did not join Ravenna’s summer training camp and does not train with the first team every day, meaning he will not make a full return to regular professional football.

“We don’t know yet when he will play in the league — it will depend on several factors, but it will definitely be a home match. Ronaldinho will play in at least one game,” Cipriani confirmed.

Ronaldinho will also attend an official club presentation on August 21.

What is Ronaldinho’s role at Ravenna?

Ronaldinho’s arrival is not only about football. The partnership is also an important marketing project designed to increase Ravenna’s international profile.

The announcement quickly attracted worldwide media attention and increased interest in the club’s season tickets. The Guardian described it as “the Ronaldinho effect.”

Ronaldinho will become a global face of Ravenna, attending promotional events and helping the club attract new fans, sponsors and commercial partners.

The partnership will also help develop Ronaldinho’s R10 brand. Ravenna have become the first club connected with R10 and have already introduced a special white-and-gold shirt featuring the brand’s logo.

Ronaldinho has not played professional football since leaving Fluminense in September 2015. Although he officially retired in 2018, he has continued playing in charity, legends and exhibition matches.

The big question now is when Ronaldinho will finally make his official Ravenna appearance. For the Brazilian legend, it could provide one last chance to step onto a professional pitch and perhaps score the final official goal of his career.