Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho is reportedly preparing for a sensational return to competitive action next month. The 46-year-old former Barcelona and AC Milan star is scheduled to feature for Italian Serie C club Ravenna in a local derby against Forli on November 15, according to an official announcement from the club.

The former forward, who clinched the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and was awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2005, last played a competitive fixture back in 2015 for Brazilian outfit Fluminense. He subsequently announced his official retirement from the sport in 2018. However, Ravenna secured his registration in June after the veteran acquired a stake in the club, which is currently owned by his close friend Ignazio Cipriani.

Cipriani asserted that the move was primarily designed to "bring the whole city closer to the team" and generate renewed enthusiasm among local supporters. When Ronaldinho arrived in Italy back in August, he stopped short of confirming whether he would actually step onto the pitch, though he explicitly left open the possibility of scoring the 300th goal of his illustrious career. He currently sits on a milestone of 299 career goals.

The upcoming derby clash against Forli is set to be hosted at Ravenna's Stadio Bruno Benelli. Ravenna currently occupies the second position in Serie C Group B, having accumulated 20 points from 10 matches, leaving them eight points adrift of league leaders Spezia as the season progresses.

Source: www.aljazeera.com