Ronaldinho resumed his playing career in Italy 11 years after it ended

The football world received one of the most unexpected news this year: Ronaldinho is officially returning to professional football. 11 years after his last official match, the 46-year-old Brazilian was introduced as the new player of Italian Ravenna, a club that plays in the country's third-highest division (Serie C). The presentation of the star took place on the coast of the Adriatic Sea and caused quite a stir. Ronaldinho joined the group of owners of Ravenna, which is headed by the president of the club Ignazio Cipriani, but the Brazilian will not limit himself to office work. "I'm very happy to be here with my friends. We'll wait and see how the team performs. I'm here to help. Soccer has always brought me joy and I'm excited to bring that spirit to Ravenna. Let the magic begin!" said the winner of the Golden Ball during the presentation. Experts agree that signing a contract with Ronaldinho is primarily a brilliant commercial move to promote the club. However, it has already been confirmed that the legend will play at least one official match in the 2026/27 season. The Brazilian did not undergo pre-season training, so he will definitely miss the opening match against Regiana on Monday. The exact date of the debut is currently kept secret. He played his last official career match for Brazilian Fluminense in 2015. The last time Ronaldinho appeared on Italian fields was in the 2010/11 season in a Milan shirt. The return to the football field comes amid another high-profile deal for the Brazilian. At the same time, Ronaldinho is expanding his influence in European sports, trying to save the Monaco basketball club (the current champion of France, which is led by a coaching duo with Ukrainian Serhiy Gladyr) from financial collapse. A consortium consisting of Ronaldinho and the Andorran fund Clayton Sport plans to buy 90% of the club's shares. The new investors are ready to immediately provide financial guarantees of more than 10 million euros, so that the club is not excluded from the elite division. Currently, lawyers are trying to postpone the hearing at the NOC of France for 5 days so that the Brazilian and his partners have time to complete all the bureaucratic procedures.