Ronaldinho, 46, to start for Ravenna against Forli on Sunday
The Brazil great is in line for his first competitive start since 2015, with Serie C side Ravenna promising a limited role and one final goal in mind.
Ronaldinho, 46, is set to make his first competitive start in more than a decade when Ravenna host local rivals Forli in Serie C on Sunday, according to BBC Sport. His last competitive appearance came for Fluminense in September 2015.
The former Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker arrived in Italy on Friday, reportedly by private jet, and will have only one training session with his team-mates before the match.
Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini said on Friday that Ronaldinho would start as one of the club's three forwards. "He will play from the start, there's no doubt," Mandorlini told reporters. "Then together we will decide how long he plays."
Goal.com reports that Mandorlini has said the World Cup winner will play "around half an hour". Ravenna are second in the table after 13 matches, and Mandorlini said: "We have to get a result."
A romantic last goal
Ronaldinho initially joined Ravenna as an investor in August. He has said he wants to score one final goal to take his career tally to 300.
"His objective is romantic, to try to score his last goal."
Club owner Ignazio Cipriani, who made that comment earlier this year, also said the Brazilian's involvement was not a token gesture or a marketing stunt. Goal.com has asked whether the comeback is a publicity exercise or a genuine return to the pitch.
Bigger ambitions for Ravenna
Cipriani has said Ravenna must reach Serie A and, in time, compete at a European level. He has described Ronaldinho as the club's global ambassador and a long-term partner in the project.
Ravenna have been touted as "the next Como". Ariedo Braida, the former Milan chief executive and sporting director, has taken on the role of vice-president, Goal.com reports. Braida is 80.
Cipriani told the Gazzetta that the club's ownership is local and rooted in the community. General manager Paolo Scocco is overseeing a new training centre, which is due to be ready by January.
Match-day build-up
A temporary stand has been built at Ravenna's Stadio Bruno Benelli to accommodate the expected crowd, and supporters are hoping to see Ronaldinho in action for potentially the final time, BBC Sport reports. Goal.com says tickets were selling for more than twice their usual price.
Forward Simone Rabbi has said Ronaldinho will take any penalties awarded to Ravenna.
Can a global star's comeback genuinely lift a provincial club, or is it simply a publicity move?
