Ravenna coach Mandorlini: ‘Having Ronaldinho here is wonderful and exciting’
FLORENCE, ITALY - OCTOBER 28: Andrea Mandorlini manager of Calcio Padova gestures during the Coppa Italia match between ACF Fiorentina and Calcio Padova at Artemio Franchi on October 28, 2020 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Ravenna coach Andrea Mandorlini says it’s “wonderful and exciting” to have Ronaldinho at the club, on the eve of the Brazilian legend’s long-awaited debut.
With quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, Mandorlini spoke to Sky Sport ahead of tomorrow’s Serie C derby against Forlì, which kicks off at 17:30 CET [16:30 GMT]. Ronaldinho is expected to feature, in what would be his first competitive appearance since 2015.
The 46-year-old former Milan and Barcelona star signed for Ravenna in August, and he hasn’t trained much with his new teammates. However, Mandorlini knows exactly what kind of talent he has at his disposal.
“We haven’t trained him much, but the important thing is that he’s here with us,” Mandorlini said.
Mandorlini on Ronaldinho and Rafa Márquez
Mandorlini coached Rafa Márquez at Verona, and the Mexican defender, a former Barcelona teammate of Ronaldinho, gave him a glowing verdict.
“As a coach, I’ve had a lot of players, and one of them was Rafa Márquez, who played with him. When I was coaching him at Verona, I used to ask him about Ronaldinho, and he always told me he was one of the greatest players of the modern era and one of the greatest talents football has ever seen.
“Having him here with us, in our colours and in our city, isn’t just nice, it’s wonderful and exciting.”
Ravenna are chasing promotion from Serie C, and demand for tickets for Sunday’s derby has been huge.
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