In Ravenna, where the Adriatic coast gives way to the brickwork and arcades of Emilia-Romagna, a November derby is being prepared for an audience far beyond Serie C. Ronaldinho, the Brazilian who turned football’s grand stages into occasions of improvisation and delight, is due to make his Ravenna debut against Forlì at the Stadio Bruno Benelli on 15 November.
The 46-year-old has not played a professional match since leaving Fluminense in 2015, yet he joined Ravenna in June and is now set for an official appearance more than a decade after stepping away from the professional game. The club announced the date on Friday, framing the local meeting with Forlì as an occasion expected to draw worldwide attention to its home ground.
“The football world thought this was too good to be true,” Ravenna said in its announcement, before confirming what it described as the return of the Brazilian’s magic, smile and talent. The club stressed that Ronaldinho’s appeal has always reached beyond individual allegiances and generations of supporters.
A coastal welcome and a date in the calendar
Ravenna introduced Ronaldinho to supporters in August at a heavily attended event in Marina di Ravenna, shortly before the season began. From the initial announcement in Miami to the reception on the beach, the prospect has carried a mixture of excitement, curiosity and disbelief around the city.
Club president Ignazio Cipriani, from the Cipriani hospitality group, has repeatedly expressed the hope that Ronaldinho’s final career goal will come in Ravenna colours. That ambition now has a fixed date attached to it, with the Brazilian expected to begin this unusual late chapter at the Benelli.
For Ronaldinho, it will be a second spell in Italian football. He previously represented AC Milan between 2008 and 2011, following earlier landmark periods at Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. His career also included Brazil’s 2002 World Cup triumph and the 2005 Ballon d’Or.
Ravenna described him as a rare kind of champion: a player remembered not simply for trophies, but for the feelings he created through an unexpected move, a burst of invention and an ever-present smile. In a competition divided into three regional groups, the club currently sits second in its Serie C section. The wait, Ravenna believes, is nearly over; on 15 November, one of football’s most recognisable figures is scheduled to return to the field.
