Brazilian legend Ronaldinho will, this afternoon, make his first competitive appearance in more than a decade.
“He will play from the start, there’s no doubt,” Ravenna boss Andrea Mandorlini told reporters. “Then together we will decide how long he plays.
“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.”
This will be Ronaldinho’s long-awaited debut for the Serie C side after joining the club in August, with footage emerging on social media over the weekend to prove the 46-year-old has not lost a step.
Ravenna are currently sitting in second place – six points behind leaders Spezia – in the Serie C, Group B table and have won four of their last five matches, including the last three in a row.
Why is Ronaldinho coming out of retirement?
Speaking in August after announcing his comeback, Ronaldinho revealed his target was to score his 300th career goal having initially retired on 299.
“I’m very happy to be here with friends, we have a team that can do something good,” said Ronaldinho, who is also a shareholder at Ravenna.
“Will you see me play? I don’t know, only the coach knows that. Coming back to Italy is wonderful, I’m here to help my teammates win.
“As you can see, I’m in shape, I feel good… If I could score my 300th goal, that would be even more beautiful.”
With Ravennna forward Simone Rabbi also confirming Ronaldinho will be on penalty duty, the Brazilian’s ambitions of scoring one final goal could become a reality at the Stadio Bruno Benelli.
How to watch Ronaldinho’s comeback game
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest for FREE via Sky Sports Football YouTube channel. Coverage will start shortly before kick-off at 4.30pm GMT.
