Italian football is preparing for a very special presentation. Ronaldinho Gaúcho landed in Emilia-Romagna on Thursday to take part in the events organized by Ravenna, the Serie C club that surprised the football world by signing the Brazilian legend as part of an international expansion strategy.
Ronaldinho Arrives in Italy Ahead of Ravenna Presentation
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho has arrived in Italy to be officially presented as a new Ravenna player, in a commercially driven move that could see him return to competitive football.
The former star, now 46 years old, arrived at Forlì Airport from Milan, the city where he spent two and a half seasons playing for AC Milan. Upon his arrival, the Brazilian once again displayed one of his trademark gestures, the famous 'shaka', raising his thumb and little finger.
Ronaldinho's return to professional football was announced in June and generated huge international attention. Although his move to Ravenna is primarily focused on commercial and brand-development objectives, the club expects the Brazilian to play at least one official match during the season.
For now, the Italian club has not announced when his highly anticipated debut could take place.
The move is closely connected to Ravenna's international expansion strategy. The club was acquired in 2024 by Ignazio Cipriani, an Italian businessman from the family that owns the Cipriani restaurant group. His objective is to develop the sporting project while strengthening the club's connection with his hometown.
Ronaldinho's presence is part of that ambitious expansion plan. The project also includes partners such as Black Duck and commercial agreements, including a partnership with Nike.
The Brazilian maintains a close relationship with Cipriani, which helped facilitate a deal combining football, entertainment and commercial strategy.
Ronaldinho's official presentation had already taken place almost two months ago in Miami, where the World Cup winner and Ballon d'Or recipient made it clear that his motivation for returning to the pitch remains the same one that defined his career: enjoying football.
"Football has always been joy for me and I'm excited to bring that spirit to Ravenna. Let the magic begin!" he said at the time.
Now that magic is about to move to Italy. Ronaldinho will once again wear the shirt of a professional football club and, although his debut date has not yet been confirmed, the possibility of seeing him play an official match again is already generating enormous excitement.
