More than a decade after his retirement, Brazil great Ronaldinho was all smiles as he returned to football in an Italian third-division match for Ravenna.
The 46-year-old Ronaldinho received a warm welcome at Stadio Bruno Benelli for a local derby against Forlì, which his side won 2-0.
He was involved in the build-up for right back Giulio Donati’s first-half goal and celebrated enthusiastically with the scorer and his teammates.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
Ronaldinho wore the No.10 jersey and, while the trademark acceleration has faded with age and grey hairs have sprouted, he looked comfortable linking up play with his assured touch or whipping in crosses.
Ronaldinho signed for the Serie C team in a surprise move in June and it was his first appearance at club level since 2015 for Rio-based side Fluminense.
He was replaced at half-time, with the score 1-0.
Ravenna are seeking promotion from their group in the third tier Serie C, which is geographically split into three sets. The club is run by Ignazio Cipriani of the Cipriani restaurant brand.
It is effectively Ronaldinho’s second spell in Italy, albeit at a much lower level, after three seasons with AC Milan from 2008-11, where he won one Serie A title.
He also played for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in a trophy-laden career that included the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the 2005 Ballon d’Or award.
He scored 94 goals in 207 matches for Barcelona — where in his best club spell he played alongside the emerging soccer great Lionel Messi — and 33 times in 97 games for Brazil.
Ronaldinho also played for Brazilian sides Gremio, Flamengo and Atlético Mineiro, and for Queretaro in Mexico.
