A special moment for Italian soccer and Ronaldinho’s fans is expected on Sunday (Nov. 15), as the Brazilian legend prepares to play in an official match again—for the first time in more than a decade!
At 46 years old, the former “Golden Ball” winner will wear the Ravenna jersey in the local derby against Forlì in Italy’s Serie C.
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Ronaldinho signed with Ravenna last June, also acquiring a stake in the club. However, since his last official appearance was in 2015, when he played for Fluminense, there were doubts as to whether fans would ever actually see him in action.
The wait, however, is coming to an end. Ravenna had announced three weeks ago that he would return for the match against Forlì, and on Friday (11/13) the team’s coach, Andrea Mandorlini, made it clear that the Brazilian would be in the starting lineup.
“He’ll start from the beginning; there’s no doubt about it. Then we’ll decide together how long he’ll play. He’s one of the greatest soccer players of the modern era. But we need to get a result. We always play with three forwards, and he’ll be one of them,” the Italian coach said.
Ronaldinho was greeted with enthusiasm by Ravenna fans last August, though at the time he did not commit to returning to the field. He arrived back in Italy on Friday afternoon and will have just one training session with his new teammates on Saturday before his official debut.
Anticipation for his appearance is already high, with the club’s management installing a temporary grandstand at “Stadio Bruno Benelli” to accommodate the increased crowd. In fact, there’s a special incentive for the Brazilian himself: if he manages to score, he’ll reach 300 professional goals in his career.
Joining him on Ravenna’s attacking line will be Simone Rambi, who revealed at Friday’s press conference (11/13) that if the team is awarded a penalty kick during the match, Ronaldinho will take the shot.
Photo source: KYPE
