Ronaldinho set to join Serie C side Ravenna as club plans Miami unveiling
Ronaldinho, 46, set to join Serie C side Ravenna; club will unveil the move in Miami on June 23, calling it a marketing move with an uncertain playing role.
Brazilian icon Ronaldinho is poised to make a surprise return to professional football with Italian third‑division club Ravenna, with the club scheduling an official unveiling in Miami on June 23. The announcement, first reported by leading Italian outlets, comes as Ravenna prepares its new season and a high‑profile marketing push. (tuttoc.com)
Ronaldinho to be unveiled in Miami on June 23
Ravenna has organised a public event in Miami where the club intends to present new shirts and introduce Ronaldinho as part of its summer programme. Club statements and reporting indicate the ceremony will be a central element of the Cipriani family’s promotional strategy for the coming campaign. (as.com)
Former Ballon d’Or winner says he wants to ‘dance with the ball’ again
The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner reportedly told club representatives he is “eager to return to dance with the ball” and to “write a new story” alongside Ravenna’s ownership. Ronaldinho’s celebrated career includes spells at Paris Saint‑Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan and a World Cup triumph with Brazil in 2002. His last official match came with Fluminense in September 2015, making any return on the pitch a remarkable late‑career development. (tuttoc.com)
Club vice‑president frames the move as marketing rather than a guaranteed playing commitment
Ravenna vice‑president Ariedo Braida has cautioned observers that the agreement carries a strong promotional component and that the extent of Ronaldinho’s competitive involvement is not yet fixed. Braida said the former star will receive a license to play but tempered expectations about him featuring regularly in Serie C competition, describing the signing as “a big deal” primarily for the club’s visibility. (tuttoavellino.it)
Ravenna’s recent results and sporting context
Ravenna ended last season in a position that put them into the national play‑off phase but fell short of promotion, a campaign that left the club keen to boost its profile and resources ahead of the new term. The club’s on‑field ambitions, coupled with fresh investment from the Cipriani family, help explain the decision to pursue an attention‑grabbing partnership with an international star. (sport.quotidiano.net)
Timing, fixtures and potential match involvement
Ravenna’s schedule includes competitive fixtures that will test whether Ronaldinho can be integrated on the pitch if the club and player choose that route. The club is reported to face Benevento in the first round of the Coppa Italia on August 9, a match that has been mentioned by Italian press as an early marker for the season and a potential moment for any on‑field cameo. Club officials have suggested some form of public appearance or exhibition is likely at the Miami event. (anteprima24.it)
The move places Ravenna in the spotlight well beyond Serie C’s usual media reach and immediately raises practical questions about registration, fitness and competitive eligibility. Italian football rules require formal registration and a valid playing license, which club representatives say will be arranged, but technical staff will still have to assess match fitness and suitability for league competition. (tuttoavellino.it)
For Ravenna the immediate gains are clear: heightened global visibility, commercial opportunities linked to merchandise and sponsorship, and a surge in media attention that could attract further investment. For fans and neutrals, the prospect of seeing one of the game’s most skilled entertainers back on a competitive pitch — even in a limited role — is generating widespread interest and debate across Europe and Latin America. (tuttoc.com)
Ronaldinho’s reported agreement with Ravenna marks an unusual intersection of sporting nostalgia and modern football marketing, leaving the final shape of his role — whether shareholder, ambassador, occasional participant or full‑time player — to be clarified at the Miami presentation on June 23.
