The legendary forward, who hung up his boots in 2015, announced on Thursday that he is returning to the sport after 11 years, with the aim of scoring his “300th goal.”
Ronaldinho, who won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil and the 2005 Ballon d’Or, played his final official match for Fluminense in September 2015.
“I’m very pleased to be here with friends; we have a team capable of achieving something significant,” he told reporters during his presentation in Ravenna.
When asked whether fans would see him play, he said, “I cannot say; only the coach has that knowledge. Returning to Italy is fantastic; I’m here to assist my teammates in securing victories.
“As you can see, I’m in good shape, I feel well… If I could net my 300th goal, that would be even more remarkable.”
Ronaldinho’s return was first revealed in June during the World Cup in Miami by Ignazio Cipriani, an Italian-American entrepreneur and the club’s owner since 2024.
“His goal is sentimental, to attempt to score his final goal.
“His participation is not merely a symbolic act or a marketing ploy to generate buzz about us,” Cipriani said.
He added that Ronaldinho, who scored 33 goals in 97 appearances for Brazil, will also become a shareholder in the club. However, he will not feature in Ravenna’s Serie C season opener against Reggiana on Monday.
Ravenna finished third in Group B of last season’s third-division championship and is hoping to secure a return to Serie B, where the club has not competed since 2008.
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