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Ronaldinho makes comeback 11 years later to score '300th goal'
🇹🇷 Turkey /Sports

Ronaldinho makes comeback 11 years later to score '300th goal'

From Daily Sabah · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Former Brazil star Ronaldinho is making a comeback 11 years after his last official match, aiming to score his 300th career goal.
  • The 46-year-old World Cup winner will join Italian third-division side Ravenna, where he also becomes a shareholder.
  • His return is described as a "romantic objective" by the club owner, not a marketing stunt, though his playing time is uncertain.

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho is set to make a return to the pitch 11 years after his last official game, with the stated goal of scoring his 300th career goal. The 46-year-old, a World Cup champion in 2002 and Ballon d'Or winner in 2005, officially retired in September 2015 after his final match with Brazilian club Fluminense.

I'm very happy to be here with friends, we have a team that can do something good.

— RonaldinhoSpeaking at his presentation with Italian third-division club Ravenna.

Ronaldinho has joined Italian third-division club Ravenna, expressing his happiness to be with friends and confident in the team's potential. "Will you see me play? I don't know, only the coach knows that," he stated during his presentation on a beach in Ravenna. "Coming back to Italy is wonderful, I'm here to help my teammates win. As you can see, I'm in shape, I feel good... If I could score my 300th goal, that would be even more beautiful."

The comeback was announced in June by Ignazio Cipriani, an Italian-American businessman and owner of Ravenna since 2024. Cipriani described Ronaldinho's objective as "romantic" and emphasized that his involvement is not merely a publicity stunt. "His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us," Cipriani said.

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

— RonaldinhoDiscussing his return to football and his personal goal.

While Ronaldinho scored 33 goals in 97 appearances for Brazil, his exact playing time with Ravenna remains uncertain. The club finished third in their group last season and aims for promotion to Serie B. Ronaldinho will also become a shareholder in the club.

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 CiprianiRavenna club owner, explaining Ronaldinho's return and its purpose.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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