Ronaldinho Comes Out Of Retirement To Join Italian Third-Tier Club

Former Ballon D’Or and World Cup winner Ronaldinho is set to come out of retirement at the age of 46 to play for Ravenna in the Italian third tier.

Ronaldinho was scheduled to sign a deal in Miami on Tuesday while already in the United States for the World Cup.

“I can’t wait to get back dancing with the ball again and to write a new story with Ignazio Cipriani (the Italian-American owner of Ravenna) and his entire family,”Ronaldinho said.

“Football has always been a source of joy for me. I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna,” added the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star.

However, Ravenna vice-president Ariedo Braida, said that Ronaldinho’s signing was more a marketing ploy than a piece of squad-building, and he may never actually play.

“He’s a magical player, who will have his registration, that’s a huge coup for us,” he said.

Ronaldinho has not played since a two-month stint at Fluminense in 2015.