Ronaldinho to return to the pitch with Italian third-tier club Ravenna on 15 November

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho will return to professional football next month. Ravenna, a club in Italy's third division, Serie C, announced on Friday that the 46-year-old forward will play for the team on 15 November in a match against local rivals Forli. It will be his first appearance in official competition since 2015.

Career and comeback

Ronaldinho previously played for Spain's Barcelona and Italy's AC Milan. In 2002 he became a world champion with the Brazil national team, and in 2005 he won the Ballon d'Or, the award given to the best player of the year. He last played in official competition in 2015, representing the Brazilian club Fluminense. He officially ended his career in 2018.

Ravenna agreed a deal with Ronaldinho in June, and he later also became a co-owner of the club. The club belongs to his friend Ignazio Cipriani, who said the idea was aimed at "bringing the whole city closer to the team".

When Ronaldinho arrived in Italy in August, he did not directly confirm that he would take to the pitch. He did, however, allow for the possibility that he could score the 300th goal of his career. "I am here to help," he said at the time.

The match and the standings

The derby against Forli will be played at Ravenna's home ground, the Stadio Bruno Benelli. In Group B of Serie C, Ravenna are second with 20 points from 10 matches, eight points behind leaders Spezia.