Eleven years after his last appearance in an official match, Ronaldinho is getting ready to lace up his soccer cleats again. The Brazilian soccer legend will play for Ravenna in the derby against Forlì, which is scheduled for November 15 at the “Stadio Bruno Benelli.”
The 46-year-old former star of Barcelona and Milan last played competitively in 2015 with Fluminense, before officially announcing his retirement from active play in 2018. Ravenna had added him to its roster last June and has now announced that he will make his long-awaited return.
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Ronaldinho’s relationship with the Italian club isn’t limited to just the on-field aspect, as he has also acquired a stake in Ravenna, which is owned by his friend Inacio Cipriani. As Cipriani noted, the goal of this move is to bring the city and its people even closer to the team.
When he was in Italy in August, Ronaldinho had not confirmed that he would play, but he left open the possibility of chasing his 300th career goal. He currently has 299 goals, which makes his return against Forlì even more intriguing.
Ravenna is in second place in Group B of Serie C with 20 points in 10 matches, eight behind the leader, Spezia, with the November derby now taking on special significance due to the presence of one of the most charismatic soccer players of all time.
*photo source: AP
