Ronaldinho has joined Italian Serie C club Ravenna at 46, more than a decade after his last competitive appearance, but the Brazil great has yet to confirm whether he will play.
Ravenna announced the move in June and presented the former Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan forward on Thursday after his arrival in Italy. Ronaldinho will also become a shareholder in the club.
“I’m very happy to be here with friends. We have a team that can do something good,” Ronaldinho said at his presentation.
The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner stopped short of confirming a playing return. He said the decision rests with Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani and head coach.
“I came here because of the friendship we have. We’ll wait for the squad to do well. I’m here to help,” Ronaldinho said.
Cipriani confirmed Ronaldinho will not play in Ravenna’s season opener away to Reggiana on Monday. The club instead sees his arrival as a way to bring the city closer to the team and build greater support as Ravenna target promotion to Italy’s top flight for the first time.
Ronaldinho last played competitively for Fluminense in 2015. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and made 97 international appearances, scoring 33 goals.
He and Cipriani also raised the possibility of Ronaldinho reaching 300 professional goals, although the Brazilian remained cautious about returning to competitive football.
His arrival has already created a commercial boost for Ravenna, with reports claiming the club has sold around 2,700 season tickets.
