The return of Ronaldinho: PR stunt or genuine comeback?

When Cipriani bought his hometown club in June 2024, his stated objective was "to make young people of Ravenna fall in love with football". What better way to do that, he thought, than to sign a player that he himself had grown up idolising?

"I don't think there’s any other player who inspires such a love for the game as Ronaldinho does," the New York-based businessman told the Gazzetta dello Sport - and it's hard to disagree.

One would be hard pressed to find anyone within the footballing community that doesn't like Ronaldinho. He's one of those very rare characters who is universally revered, adored all around the world because he is effectively 'jogo bonito' incarnate, a one-man carnival.

There was one very obvious problem with Cipriani's plan, though: Ronaldinho retired in 2018 at 37 years of age, and hasn't played a game of professional football since parting company with Fluminense in 2015. However, the pair had developed "a genuine friendship" after being introduced by Lorenzo Tonetti, the former co-owner of the famous 'Giannino' restaurant that Ronaldinho frequented during his two-and-a-half-year spell with AC Milan between July 2008 and January 2011.

Consequently, when Cipriani suggested a return to professional football with Ravenna, the World Cup winner "said yes immediately". "That’s just how things go with Ronnie," Cipriani told Il Resto del Carlino. "If there's a chance to have fun and excite people, he's all in."

Ronaldinho's lust for life is well-known, and he was visibly touched by the hero's welcome he received when he made his first appearance in Ravenna at a lavish media event in August. "This is why I came back!" he told reporters, referring to all of the fans who had turned out to see him. "Do you understand now?"

What journalists did not fully understand, though, was whether Ronaldinho would actually play a minute of meaningful action. Cipriani said that he would make at least one appearance for the club (and maybe more depending on how Sunday goes), but he openly admitted that the deal was about more than football.

"He also wants to launch his own sportswear brand, R10,' the Ravenna president told the Gazzetta. "Think along the lines of the Michael Jordan model. And Ravenna will be the first team to wear this sportswear."

Unsurprisingly, this particular element of the partnership is already paying off, quite literally. Damiano David from the Italian rock band Maneskin took to social media back in August to ask, "Where can I buy the [R10 Ravenna] shirt?!" And the answer was nowhere, as the first batch of the limited-edition jersey had already sold out.

Unsurprisingly, stocks have since been replenished and there is now an abundance of Ronaldinho-related merchandise available online and at a stadium that has installed extra suites to accommodate the demand for this weekend's derby, which is doubly good news for the man himself, as he's not just joining Ravenna as a player.

“Ronaldinho is here with a specific, romantic goal: to try and score the final goal of his career," Cipriani stated. "However, his involvement is not just a superficial gesture or a marketing ploy to get people talking about us. Ronaldinho is going to become a shareholder in the club."

For now, of course, the focus is very much on Ronaldinho's promised return to action on Sunday, with Ravenna coach Andrea Mandorlini insisting that the former Paris Saint-Germain ace will play "around half an hour" - despite training just once with the first time since his arrival on Friday via private jet.

Unsurprisingly, tickets were going at more than twice their usual value, while a temporary stand (called the 'R10' obviously) has been erected especially for the occasion, and Cipriani is particularly proud of the fact that the eyes of the football world will be drawn to a league that he freely admits often goes "unnoticed".

"When Ronaldinho and Ravenna made headlines worldwide during the World Cup, it showed that provincial football can capture attention anywhere," he argued. "If we can draw focus toward us, the entire league stands to benefit - from TV rights and sponsorships to attendance."

In that sense, Ronaldinho's return is very much the first step towards something even bigger, at least from Ravenna's perspective. "I’ll state it clearly, because I work better when I make a public commitment: Ravenna must reach Serie A and, in time, compete at a European level," Cipriani declared. "It will require patience and a solid structure, but that is the direction we are heading in.

"Ronaldinho is more than just a player wearing the jersey for a single night. He is our global ambassador and a long-term partner in this project."

Cipriani is aware that Ravenna will require more than just Ronaldinho's pulling power to climb the Italian footballing ladder, which is why he was almost as excited about convincing Milan's legendary former CEO and sporting director Ariedo Braida to take on the role of vice-president. Braida is 80 years of age now, but his mere involvement adds an incredible level of credibility to a venture that has unsurprisingly seen Ravenna touted as 'the next Como'.

"That’s certainly something that makes us proud, but the fundamental difference is that our ownership is local and deeply rooted in the community," Cipriani pointed out to the Gazzetta. "Ravenna is my home, and my lifelong dream has always been to turn every young football fan in the area into a supporter of our city’s club. We have a lot of work ahead of us, starting with our facilities.

"Our general manager, Paolo Scocco - who is doing an outstanding job - is overseeing the development of our new, modern training centre, which should be ready by January. After that, we’ll turn our attention to the stadium. We’re currently finishing renovations at the Benelli, but our vision is to build a brand new stadium, complete with offices and a Hotel Cipriani.

"So, we have plenty of ideas and grand ambitions. The Ronaldinho project is just the starting point."