Ronaldinho signs for Serie C side Ravenna, takes iconic no.10 shirt
Quick summary
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho has completed a move to Italian third-tier club Ravenna and will wear the iconic no.10 jersey, with the club confirming 'he will play'.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceIn one of the most surprising moves of the summer transfer window, former Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho is set to return to Italy to play for Serie C outfit Ravenna and the Brazilian icon has shared footage of himself signing and posing with his new no.10 shirt.
The 46-year-old had seemingly called it a day on his playing career over a decade ago, his last contract with Fluminses being terminated all the way back in 2015.
However, the former PSG, Milan and Barcelona star is set to put his boots back on and return to Italy to play for Ravenna in the third tier: ‘I can’t wait to dance with the ball again,” said Ronaldinho when Ravenna confirmed the deal on Tuesday.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 19: Ronaldinho attends the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Brazil and Haiti at Philadelphia Stadium on June 19, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) While a deal for Ronaldinho brings obvious benefits in terms of exposure and commercial revenue, club owner Ignazio Cipriani insists that this move is not purely for promotional reasons and that the Brazilian icon will definitely play for at least one match in Serie C.
Ronaldinho will not join the team for their pre-season training camp, though.
“He will be there for the presentation of the team on August 21,” Cipriani confirmed in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport
“He won’t come on the training camp, but he will definitely take part in at least one league match, maybe even a few more, we’ll see. We still don’t know when he will take to the pitch in the league, it will depend on several things. It will definitely be a home game.
“His goal is to score his final goal in a Ravenna shirt,” Cipriani insists.
Ronaldinho wearing Ravenna kit (ravennafc.it) Meanwhile, footage of Ronaldinho signing his new Ravenna shirt with his iconic no.10 on the back of it has gone viral across social media.
Ravenna will be the first club in the world to wear a kit with Ronaldinho’s R10 branding, which Cipriani has compared to the ‘Michael Jordan style’ arrangement with Nike.
Watch: Ronaldinho completes Ravenna move and signs no.10 shirt
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What happened
Ronaldinho, one of the most decorated players of his generation and a 2005 Ballon d'Or winner, has signed for Ravenna in Italy's Serie C. The move is a remarkable one given Ravenna's modest standing in Italian football. Club officials confirmed the Brazilian will not just be a marketing figurehead but will actually feature on the pitch, taking the famous no.10 shirt. The signing generates enormous global publicity for a club that typically operates well below the spotlight.
Chance analysis
From a competitive standpoint, Ronaldinho's involvement at age 45 in Serie C is unlikely to dramatically shift Ravenna's promotion prospects, but the commercial and promotional value is immense. The story is a global headline rather than a meaningful tactical or league-impacting transfer. Soccer prediction systems should treat any short-term performance uplift as negligible, though the event itself is significant for branding and media attention.
Ravenna gain enormous global exposure and a marginal creative boost, but the competitive impact in Serie C is minimal.
A legendary player joining a lower-tier Italian club is a global headline with negligible match-prediction impact — weight this as a publicity story, not a competitive one.