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Ronaldinho, 46, comes out of retirement to play for Italian third-division club
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Sports

Ronaldinho, 46, comes out of retirement to play for Italian third-division club

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • Former Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldinho is coming out of retirement at age 46 to play for Italian third-division club Ravenna FC.
  • He aims to score his 300th career goal, stating he feels "in shape" and "good."
  • The club owner emphasized this is not a marketing stunt, and Ronaldinho will also become a shareholder.

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho is set to make a surprising comeback to the sport, emerging from retirement at the age of 46 to play for Ravenna FC in Italy's third tier. The former World Cup and Ballon d'Or winner, who officially retired in 2015, announced his intention to score his "300th goal" with the Italian club.

Will you see me play? I don’t know, only the coach knows that. Coming back to Italy is wonderful, I’m here to help my teammates win.

— RonaldinhoThe former Brazil star expressed his excitement about returning to Italy and joining Ravenna FC.

During his presentation on a beach in Ravenna, Ronaldinho expressed his happiness to be with his new teammates, stating the team has the potential to achieve good results. "Will you see me play? I don’t know, only the coach knows that. Coming back to Italy is wonderful, I’m here to help my teammates win," he said. The Brazilian icon, known for his dazzling skills with clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and AC Milan, added, "As you can see, I’m in shape, I feel good… If I could score my 300th goal, that would be even more beautiful."

Ignazio Cipriani, an Italian-American businessman and owner of Ravenna FC since 2024, revealed in June that Ronaldinho's comeback was being planned. Cipriani assured that the objective is "romantic," focusing on scoring one last memorable goal rather than being a mere publicity stunt. "His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us," Cipriani stated.

As you can see, I’m in shape, I feel good… If I could score my 300th goal, that would be even more beautiful.

— RonaldinhoRonaldinho shared his physical condition and his personal goal for his comeback.

Ronaldinho, who scored 33 goals in 97 appearances for Brazil, will also acquire a stake in Ravenna FC, becoming a shareholder. He will not participate in the Serie C season opener against Reggiana on Monday. Ravenna FC finished third in Group B of last season's third-division championship and is aiming for promotion to Serie B, a league they have not competed in since 2008. Ronaldinho's return adds significant attention to the club's ambitions.

His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal. His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us.

— Ignazio CiprianiThe club owner explained the motivation behind Ronaldinho's return and dismissed suggestions of it being a publicity stunt.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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