Ronaldinho joins Ravenna as Italian football pursues star power in lower tiers

Ronaldinho, the Brazil great who last played professionally in 2015, has signed with Ravenna FC at age 46, according to reporting from The Guardian on Wednesday. "I cannot wait to dance with the ball," the former two-time Ballon d'Or winner said in a statement. The signing marks an unusual moment in Italian football: a club in the third tier recruiting a global name not for immediate competitive advantage but for the cultural and commercial attention a legend can command.

Ravenna sits in Emilia-Romagna, the region that borders Marche to the north. The club's decision to sign Ronaldinho reflects a broader shift in how regional Italian football clubs—particularly those outside Serie A—are thinking about investment and visibility. Where once lower-division clubs relied on local support and modest budgets, some are now attempting to leverage global fan bases and media interest to generate revenue streams that sustain operations in an era of tightening football finances.

For Marche's own football landscape, the Ronaldinho signing offers a cautionary note. Regional clubs in central Italy have long depended on a mix of local pride, family investment, and modest commercial returns. The arrival of a global figure in neighbouring Emilia-Romagna suggests that even Series C clubs can now compete for international attention—a dynamic that may reshape how smaller Italian regions market their sporting identity and attract investment.