Ronaldinho, 46, Set to Start for Ravenna in Italian Serie C

Brazil great Ronaldinho is set to make his first competitive start in over a decade when Ravenna face local rivals Forli in Italy’s Serie C on Sunday. The 46-year-old playmaker, formerly of Barcelona and AC Milan, is poised to feature for Ravenna since joining the club in August, marking his first appearance since September 2015.

Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini confirmed Friday that Ronaldinho will start the match as one of three forwards, stating, “He will play from the start, there’s no doubt. Then together we will decide how long he plays.” Mandorlini added, “He is one of the greatest players of the modern era. And we have to get a result. We always play with three forwards. He will be one of the three.”

Ronaldinho, a former Ballon d’Or winner, initially joined Ravenna as an investor in August but expressed ambitions of scoring one final goal to reach 300 career strikes. Club owner Ignazio Cipriani emphasized, “His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal. His involvement is not a token gesture or a marketing stunt to get people talking about us.”

Arriving in Italy on Friday, Ronaldinho will have only one training session with his teammates before Sunday’s fixture. A temporary stand has been erected at Stadio Bruno Benelli to accommodate the expected crowd, with fans hoping to witness the World Cup winner in action, potentially for the final time. Meanwhile, Ravenna forward Simone Rabbi confirmed that Ronaldinho will take any penalties awarded to the side, currently second in the table after 13 matches.

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