Ronaldinho unveiled at third-tier Ravenna in front of 6,000 fans, a decade after retiring

Ronaldinho landed in Italy on Thursday for a lavish unveiling at Serie C club Ravenna, more than a decade after the Brazilian legend last played professional football. Around 6,000 fans gathered at a beachside ceremony, waving flags and holding flares despite intermittent rain, as the 46-year-old walked out to The Script’s “Hall of Fame” as Ravenna’s new No. 10.

The signing was first announced as a surprise in June. Ronaldinho arrived by private jet at Forlì Airport — roughly 30 kilometres from Ravenna — around midday local time, signing footballs for airport staff before being driven onto the runway by Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani, of the Cipriani restaurant brand.

When asked how he was feeling at the press presentation, Ronaldinho kept his trademark lightness. “I’m very happy to be here with my friends, but let’s wait and see if things go well with the team,” he said. On the question of when supporters could expect to see him on the pitch, he laughed: “I feel fine. I don’t know, it depends on the president and coach.”

He will not feature in Ravenna’s opening Serie C fixture on Monday away at Reggio Emilia, and the extent of his playing involvement across the season remains unclear. Cipriani has said his dream is for Ronaldinho to score the final goal of his career in a Ravenna shirt — a sentiment the player did not dismiss. “If that happens, even better, no?” he said. “I’ve come here because of the friendship we have, and that’s it — let’s wait and see how the team does. I’m here to help.”

Ronaldinho last appeared professionally for Fluminense in 2015. The Ravenna deal marks his return to Italian football after a three-year spell at AC Milan between 2008 and 2011. Among the most decorated players of his generation, he won the FIFA World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and claimed the Ballon d’Or in 2005.