Brazilian winger Ronaldinho played his first official match in 11 years, making his debut for Italy's Ravenna in a home meeting with Forlì in the 14th round of Serie C — Italy's third tier. The match at the Bruno Benelli stadium in Ravenna ended 2-0 in favor of the hosts, infohub.kz reports.
Both goals were scored by Italian players: defender Giulio Donati struck in the 36th minute, and forward Simone Rabbi in the 58th.
Ronaldinho started in the No. 10 shirt and played the first half. He took part in his team's goal-scoring move and made 21 passes, 17 of them accurate. The 46-year-old was substituted at halftime.
For Ronaldinho, it was his first official match since September 2015, when he last played for Brazil's Fluminense. In January 2018, the player announced his retirement.
Last summer, Ronaldinho became a minority shareholder in Ravenna and signed a contract with the club as a player. After 14 rounds, the team sits second in Serie C with 32 points. Only Spezia, on 38 points, is above them.
Ronaldinho is known for his spells at France's PSG (Paris Saint-Germain), Spain's Barcelona and Italy's Milan. In 2005, he won the Ballon d'Or.
With the Brazil national team, the player won the 2002 World Cup and bronze at the 2008 Olympics. In total, Ronaldinho made 97 appearances for the national team and scored 33 goals.