Brazilian legend Ronaldinho will make his first competitive appearance in more than a decade this afternoon, starting for Italian third division side Ravenna against local rivals Forli.
The former Barcelona and AC Milan star has not played competitively since featuring for Fluminense in September 2015. He is confirmed to start for Ravenna, who sit second in the Serie C, Group B table.
Mandorlini confirms starting role
Ravenna boss Andrea Mandorlini confirmed the 46-year-old will be in the starting lineup. "He will play from the start, there's no doubt," Mandorlini told reporters. "Then together we will decide how long he plays."
"He is one of the greatest players of the modern era. And we have to get a result. We always play with three forwards. He will be one of the three," he added.
This will be Ronaldinho's debut for the club after joining in August, with social media footage over the weekend suggesting he has not lost a step. Ravenna are six points behind leaders Spezia and have won four of their last five matches, including the last three in a row.
Chasing a 300th career goal
Speaking in August after announcing his comeback, Ronaldinho revealed his target is to score his 300th career goal, having retired on 299.
"I'm very happy to be here with friends, we have a team that can do something good," said Ronaldinho, who is also a shareholder at Ravenna. "Will you see me play? I don't know, only the coach knows that. Coming back to Italy is wonderful, I'm here to help my teammates win."
"As you can see, I'm in shape, I feel good... If I could score my 300th goal, that would be even more beautiful," he added.
With Ravenna forward Simone Rabbi confirming Ronaldinho will be on penalty duty, the Brazilian's ambitions of scoring one final goal could become a reality at the Stadio Bruno Benelli.
How to watch the comeback game
In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports. Fans can catch the contest for free via the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel, with coverage starting shortly before kick-off at 4.30pm GMT.
