A jersey formerly worn by Diego Maradona, with a starting price of €350,000, is the highlight of Jean-Marie Pfaff’s football memorabilia collection, which will soon be up for sale.
The items will go under the hammer in Paris on 23 May.
The former Belgian national goalkeeper briefly exhibited his collection on Wednesday evening at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
Pfaff’s collection includes iconic jerseys from players such as Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini. Over the years, he displayed these items at a pop-up museum in Beveren. After Wednesday's exhibition, the collection was transported to a vault in Paris, where auction house Millon will oversee the sale.
The memorabilia trace Pfaff’s football career, spanning clubs such as SK Beveren and FC Bayern Munich. Asked about the sale, he remained reserved, saying, “I don’t know what the Maradona jersey will fetch. We’ll see.”
This is his second attempt to auction the jersey. Two years ago, the asking price was €640,000, but it failed to sell. The new starting price is set at €350,000.
The jersey dates back to the 1986 World Cup. It was acquired after a shirt swap following the semi-final between Belgium and Argentina. Maradona, who passed away in 2020, signed it in 2016 during a meeting with Pfaff in Paris.
Pfaff says his motivation for selling his collection is grounded in a desire for legacy and responsibility.
“I want to share this. I want it to go to people who truly value it, and I’m doing this now because I don’t want to leave my family with the responsibility of managing all this memorabilia after my death,” he explained.
