Ronaldinho poised for Ravenna start and, perhaps, one last goal

Ronaldinho will roll back the years this weekend when the 46-year-old Brazilian starts his first competitive match in over a decade, and in the unlikely setting of an Italian third-tier derby the World Cup winner may realise his dream of scoring one last time.

The Brazil great and Ballon d’Or winner signed for Ravenna in June, also taking a stake in the club, but because he had not played since his final appearance for Fluminense in 2015, doubts remained over whether fans would ever see him in action.

Ravenna revealed three weeks ago that the former Barcelona and AC Milan player would make his return in Sunday’s home clash with local rivals Forli, and on Friday, manager Andrea Mandorlini told reporters that Ronaldinho would start the match.

“He will play from the start, there’s no doubt,” Mandorlini said.

“Then together we will decide how long he plays. He is one of the greatest players of the modern era. And we have to get a result. We always play with three forwards. He will be one of the three.”

Ronaldinho was welcomed by the Ravenna fans in August, without committing to a return to the pitch. He returned to Italy on Friday afternoon and will have just one training session with his teammates on Saturday before making his club debut.

A temporary stand has been erected at the Stadio Bruno Benelli to cater for the crowd, and if this does turn out to be one last hurrah for Ronaldinho, he may well get the chance to score his 300th professional goal.

Simone Rabbi will play alongside the Brazilian up front for Ravenna, and in Friday’s press conference he said that if his side are awarded a penalty on Sunday, Ronaldinho will take the spot kick.