Ronaldinho Arrives in Forlì as Ravenna FC Unveils Its Star Attraction
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho Gaúcho landed in Forlì, Italy, on Thursday morning, marking the start of one of the most unexpected chapters in modern football. The 46-year-old former Ballon d’Or winner and 2002 World Cup champion arrived by private jet from Milan Linate at Forlì’s Ridolfi Airport around 11:50 a.m. local time. He was in Emilia-Romagna to attend Ravenna FC’s official team presentation, an event that has turned a modest Serie C club into a global talking point.
Club staff and a small group of fans waited on the tarmac as Ronaldinho stepped off the plane in his trademark relaxed style — floral shirt, Bermuda shorts and flat cap. He paused briefly to sign a couple of footballs for airport workers before climbing into a waiting car alongside Ravenna president Ignazio Cipriani. The Brazilian then headed toward Ravenna itself, roughly 30 kilometres away, for medical checks and the evening’s big show.
That evening, thousands of supporters gathered on the beach at Marina di Ravenna for what the club billed as “Ronaldinho Day.” Despite intermittent rain, an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 fans turned out, waving flags and lighting flares as the entire Ravenna squad, youth teams and technical staff were introduced on a stage set up beside the South Breakwater Dam. The climax came when Ronaldinho, wearing the club’s new No. 10 shirt, walked out to the sound of “Hall of Fame” by The Script. The atmosphere mixed nostalgia, curiosity and genuine excitement in a city better known for its Byzantine mosaics and Adriatic coastline than for footballing drama.
The move was first announced in late June 2026 during a glamorous event at Cipriani Downtown Miami. Cipriani, whose family built the legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice and now runs a luxury hospitality empire, revealed that Ronaldinho would join Ravenna both as a shareholder and as a registered player. “This is not window dressing or a marketing stunt,” Cipriani insisted at the time. “Ronaldinho will become a shareholder in Ravenna FC — that is the central point of the operation. He has also chosen to make an extraordinary gift to the city and to his new club: he will take to the pitch for Ravenna in an official professional match, with one clear and romantic aim — to try to score the final goal of his career.”
Ronaldinho last played competitive football in 2015 with Fluminense. His official retirement followed a couple of years later. At 46, any return was always going to raise eyebrows. Yet the Brazilian has repeatedly signalled that he intends to step onto the pitch at least once. In June he told interviewers he would “certainly play a few minutes in an official match,” adding that he would then see how his body responded. On Thursday he was more cautious. Asked when fans might see him play, he smiled and replied, “I don’t know, it depends on the president and the coach. I feel fine.” He later noted that scoring what would be the 300th goal of his career “would be even more beautiful.”
Coach Andrea Mandorlini, the former Inter defender now in charge of the Giallorossi, has not included Ronaldinho in pre-season preparations. The club has already confirmed he will not feature in Monday’s Serie C Group B opener away to Reggiana. Any appearance will come later, most likely at home, and will be carefully managed.
Ravenna finished third in their group last season and harbour realistic hopes of promotion to Serie B, a level they last reached in 2008. Cipriani, who took control of the club in 2024, has spoken openly about using the Ronaldinho project to rebuild the fan base, raise the club’s international profile and inject joy into the stands. The Brazilian’s presence is designed to do far more than sell tickets. It launches his R10 technical brand on the team’s kits, sits alongside a Nike partnership, and aligns with a broader lifestyle vision that mixes football, fashion, art and hospitality. Partners such as Black Duck AI have also been linked to the project, pointing toward data-driven scouting and modern club infrastructure ambitions that include talk of a new stadium complex.
For Ronaldinho the decision appears rooted in long-standing personal relationships. He has known the Cipriani family for years and shares a close connection with Cipriani himself and other figures around the club, including former Milan director Ariedo Braida. “We’ve been friends for many years, so it was something simple, direct and easy,” Ronaldinho said after the June announcement. “We both want Ravenna to do very well. We share very similar ideas and that’s why we’re doing this together.” At the beach presentation he struck a similar note: “I’m very happy to be here with my friends, but let’s wait and see if things go well with the team. I’m here to help.”
The arrival has already generated coverage far beyond Italy’s third tier. For a club whose stadium holds just over 12,000, the sudden spotlight is transformative. Local media described the airport arrival and beach party as a city-wide celebration. Fans who once viewed the signing with scepticism now speak of genuine belief that something special is unfolding. Even intermittent rain could not dampen the flares and singing on the sand.
Yet questions remain. How many minutes will Ronaldinho actually play? Can a 46-year-old body that has been away from competitive football for more than a decade cope with Serie C’s physical demands? Will the commercial gains outweigh the sporting risks of turning a promotion-chasing squad into a circus for one night? Cipriani and Ronaldinho both insist the project is serious. The Brazilian has framed his involvement as a chance to inspire a new generation and to close his playing story on his own terms.
Ronaldinho’s career needs little introduction. The elastic dribbling, the no-look passes, the infectious smile and the ability to make the extraordinary look effortless defined a generation. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, claimed the Ballon d’Or in 2005 after dazzling seasons at Barcelona, and later added a Serie A title with Milan. Those memories still resonate. Seeing him pull on a yellow-and-red Ravenna shirt on an Adriatic beach feels both improbable and strangely fitting for a player who always treated football as pure joy.
Whether he scores that final goal or simply waves to the crowd once more, Ronaldinho’s presence has already succeeded in putting Ravenna on the map. For one evening at least, a small Italian club danced under the lights with one of the greatest entertainers the game has ever known. The magic, as Ronaldinho himself once put it, has begun. The hard part — turning nostalgia into results on the pitch — still lies ahead.
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