Ronaldinho is set to return to action with Ravenna in Serie C. The official announcement is scheduled for June 23 in Miami, with a new kit unveiling and a donation to Street Soccer USA on the same day.
At 46, he is moving into a squad that narrowly missed promotion last season. Ravenna will get him into pre-season training from the outset, and he is available to the technical staff immediately.
Ignazio Cipriani in Miami
Ignazio Cipriani said he has spent 24 years of his life in the United States and still considers Ravenna his home. He called bringing in Ronaldinho absolutely extraordinary for the club and said the player was his idol.
Ronaldinho answered with a short line that fits the move: "New colours, same smile,". He added, "I can't wait to dance with the ball again and write a new chapter with Ignazio and the entire Cipriani family."
Ravenna's June 23 plan
The June 23 event in Miami does more than present a signing. It pairs the announcement with the club's new kit and the donation from the club and the Cipriani family to Street Soccer USA, turning one day into a launch point for the next phase of Ravenna and Ronaldinho.
Ravenna in Serie C now gets the kind of attention most clubs do not see, and the practical next step is simple: the unveiling in Miami will show whether this is a ceremonial arrival, an on-field return, or both. Ronaldinho said football has always been a source of joy for him, and he wants to bring that same spirit to Ravenna.
Ronaldinho and the season ahead
The age marker is part of the story, too. Ronaldinho turned 46 last March, yet he is being brought in as a player who will join training and work with the technical staff from day one, which makes the signing more than a presentation piece.
Last March also helps explain the reaction around the move: this is a former global star being tied to a club that fell short of promotion last season. If the signing becomes a matchday reality, Ravenna in Serie C and its supporters get a rare crossover of profile and footballing purpose; if it stays ceremonial, the June 23 unveiling will still have done its job by putting Ravenna's next chapter in front of a wider audience.
Cafu's Ronaldinho GOAT picks sit alongside the same wider debate about where Ronaldinho fits in football history, and Ravenna are now trying to turn that name into a working part of their season.
