‘Truly beautiful’ to make football return, says Ronaldinho

Brazilian great Ronaldinho says it will be “truly beautiful” to make his return to the pitch on Sunday, 11 years after retirement, when he plays for Italian third-tier side Ravenna. The 46-year-old, who last played for Fluminense in 2015, will start for Ravenna in their local derby against Forli. “I want to have a great day. I’m happy to be here for the start of this wonderful story,” Ronaldinho told Sky Sports on Friday.

“The president dreams of something big for Ravenna, and being a part of it makes me happy.” Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani has said his goal is to take the club to Serie A for the first time in their history. The team’s Stadio Bruno Benelli, which usually holds 5,000 fans, is sold out, with a 1,800-capacity temporary stand — dubbed “R10” — also erected for the occasion.

Ravenna, who have not even played in Serie B since 2008, are second in their group in Serie C, six points behind leaders Spezia. “Returning to the pitch after so much time is truly beautiful — I’m here to experience a special moment in my life,” added Ronaldinho. “It’s been a few years since I stopped playing — I’ve won everything I ever dreamed of.

“Now I’m 46, and I’ve experienced everything there is to experience in football. This is a completely different kind of opportunity. I want to be part of the dream held by my friends who work for Ravenna.” The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner will be hoping to score his 300th career goal, over a decade after he netted his 299th. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star has even spent time in a Paraguayan prison since, after attempting to enter the country on a false passport, but did star in a prison futsal match.

The move to Ravenna is widely regarded as a marketing stunt, but one Cipriani hopes can help kickstart his Serie A dream. “The long-term goal is to get Ravenna promoted to Serie A,” insisted the club president.