Ronaldinho reveals why he returned from retirement to play for Ravena

Ronaldinho says his desire to make Ravena’s supporters happy, along with his friendship with club president Ignazio Cipriani, persuaded him to return to competitive football.

The former Brazil international took part in Ravena’s training session on Saturday as the club prepared to face Forli in the Emilia-Romagna derby on Sunday.

“I now want to make Ravena’s fans happy because of the great passion they have,” Ronaldinho told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I am happy that I will be able to return to the pitch after such a long time. I like the idea of being able to make these supporters happy.”

Asked why he had decided to play in an official match again, Ronaldinho said: “Because of the friendship I have with Ravena president Ignazio Cipriani, and because of the things we hope to achieve in the future.”

He added: “I now have the chance to do something in football again that makes me happy, while also giving the fans a wonderful day. They are experiencing the beginning of this great adventure with happiness. All I hope is that we can spend a beautiful day together.”

Ravena are currently second in the third division, with 29 points from their opening matches. Their opponents Forli are 15th with 15 points.

Ronaldinho retired from football 11 years ago, with his final appearance coming for Fluminense in 2015.

His last involvement in Serie A came during the 2010-11 season. He spent two and a half years with Milan before moving to Flamengo in January 2011.

During his career, Ronaldinho also played for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Atletico Mineiro, Queretaro and Fluminense.

At international level, he won 97 caps for Brazil, scoring 33 goals and providing 29 assists. He was part of the Brazil team that won the 2002 World Cup.