Ronaldinho, 46, to play first game since 2015

What the report says

Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho is set to make his first competitive start in more than 10 years when Ravenna meet local rivals Forli in Italy’s third division on Sunday, BBC Sport Football reports. The 46-year-old, a former Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker and 2005 Ballon d’Or winner, is in line to appear for Ravenna for the first time since joining the Serie C club in August.

According to the BBC, Ronaldinho’s last competitive match was for Fluminense in September 2015. Ravenna manager Andrea Mandorlini said on Friday that the Brazilian would start the game as one of three forwards, though the club planned to decide how long he would stay on the pitch. The report says Ronaldinho arrived in Italy on Friday and had only one training session with his teammates before the fixture.

Ravenna owner Ignazio Cipriani previously said Ronaldinho had joined as an investor, not as a publicity move, and that he hoped to score what would be a final goal to reach 300 career goals. The BBC notes that supporters are expected to turn out in large numbers at Stadio Bruno Benelli, where a temporary stand has been added for the occasion. Ravenna are second in the table after 13 matches, and teammate Simone Rabbi said Ronaldinho would take penalties if the team are awarded any.