When Ravenna FC first announced Ronaldinho was joining the club, officials went out of their way to lower expectations. Vice-president Ariedo Braida told Italian media the Brazilian legend would take part in marketing activities only, adding, somewhat wistfully, that he wished the 46-year-old were still capable of playing competitively. Weeks later, club owner Ignazio Cipriani confirmed the opposite. Ronaldinho will play at least one Serie C match for the Italian third-tier side.
The reversal caps one of the more unlikely storylines in recent football, as Ronaldinho prepares for his first competitive appearance since 2015, when he last played for Brazilian club Fluminense. Eleven years is a long gap for any professional athlete, let alone one stepping back onto the pitch at 46, but Ravenna has been consistent in framing his arrival as more than symbolic.
Cipriani has been explicit that this isn’t purely a promotional exercise. According to him, the plan is for Ronaldinho to feature in an actual home league fixture, not simply appear at events or training sessions for optics. No date has been confirmed yet, and he isn’t expected to be involved when Ravenna open their season against Reggiana.
The move marks Ronaldinho’s second stint in Italian football, following his three seasons at AC Milan between 2008 and 2011. It also comes with a business dimension that sets it apart from typical veteran comeback stories. Ronaldinho has joined Ravenna’s ownership group as part of a broader push to raise the club’s profile, attract fresh investment, and draw international attention to a team playing in Italy’s third division.
For Braida and others inside the club, the shift from denial to confirmation reflects how quickly the reality of Ronaldinho’s involvement evolved once the presentation event, held in Miami, generated global attention. Braida himself later softened his earlier comments, telling Italian outlet ANSA that whether Ronaldinho would play was “not ruled out,” a notable retreat from his initial position.
For his part, Ronaldinho has embraced the moment with characteristic flair. “I cannot wait to dance with the ball,” he said following the move, describing football as a lifelong source of joy that he’s eager to bring to his new club. Whatever the extent of his playing time ends up being, Ravenna is clearly hoping his presence alone, on the field or off it, will be enough to reshape how the club is seen well beyond Serie C.
