Former Belgian goalkeeper sells football collection, with Maradona shirt as centrepiece
Former Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff is auctioning off his collection of football memorabilia. A jersey once worn by Diego Maradona will be the centrepiece of the auction, with a starting price of 350,000 euros. The collection will be auctioned off in Paris on 23 May.
Jean-Marie Pfaff is widely considered to be one of the greatest Belgian goalkeepers of all time. He played for Bayern Munich for six seasons and was the Belgian national team's first-choice goalkeeper for many years. At the 1986 World Cup, he was elected goalkeeper of the tournament.
Throughout his career, Pfaff amassed an extensive collection of football memorabilia, featuring iconic shirts from global stars including Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini, as well as several European Championship and World Cup jerseys. The collection was on display in a pop-up museum in Beveren, which closed its doors last summer.
The former goalkeeper has now decided to sell his collection. After a brief public exhibition at the King Baudouin Stadium on Wednesday, the items were transported to a vault in Paris, where the Millon auction house will offer them for sale on 23 May.
Match-worn Maradona shirt
The highlight of the sale is a jersey worn by Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup, obtained in a shirt swap after the Belgium-Argentina semi-final. Maradona signed it when the two men met in Paris in 2016, writing "Para el simpatico Jean Marie con todo mi cariño" ("for the likeable Jean-Marie with all my love", ed).
The shirt carries a starting price of 350,000 euros. That is a significant reduction from a previous attempt to sell it, when the bidding opened at 640,000 euros but failed to find a buyer.
Pfaff explained his decision to the press on Thursday. "I have built up a wonderful collection over the course of my career. Now the museum has closed, it would be a shame if it were left gathering dust in an attic somewhere. And I don't want to leave that responsibility to my three daughters later on."
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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