New SICAR Museum Opens in Romania Featuring Football Memorabilia
The recently opened SICAR Museum at the Ilie Oană Stadium in Ploiești is now showcasing a collection of historic items from Romanian football. It features a permanent exhibition dedicated to the local team, Petrolul, along with a temporary display focusing on the national team’s stories. Two consecutive auctions held at Artmark in Bucharest raised impressive funds to support the launch of Romania’s new Sports Museum.
The Football Museum in Bucharest, known for special events, now has a smaller counterpart just 70 kilometers away.
Launched less than a month ago, the SICAR Museum is a private initiative by passionate collector Radu Simionescu.
His connections to football extend beyond impressive displays amassed over the years, totaling about 3,000 items including jerseys, balls, medals, diplomas, photos, and autographs. Simionescu also has a personal connection to the sport; he is the son-in-law of Bujorel Mocanu, a legendary midfielder for the “lupii” (wolves) in the 1980s and ‘90s, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 49.
Equipment from Mutu’s World Cup Campaigns: 2006 and 2010
SICAR stands for Sports / Illustrates / Collectibles / Autographs / Rarity. The latest temporary exhibition has a special theme related to the upcoming World Cup 2026, with a weekend honoring the “tricolorii” (the tricolors).
Visitors can enjoy this unique journey through the national team’s history this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. During this time, collectors will gather for Panini sticker exchanges, an exciting race to complete the catalog for the 2026 World Cup.
- Hagi’s jersey from Euro 1996
- Constantin Zamfir’s jersey from Euro 1980, produced in 1978
- Jerseys from Ronaldo Deaconu and Baiaram at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics
- Tudorel Stoica’s jersey from the youth national team before he became the captain of Steaua
- Jerseys of Florin Prunea, Iulian Chiriță, Gheorghe Mihali, and Ștefan Preda from World Cup 1994, along with Gheorghe Liliac’s jersey, the third goalkeeper at World Cup 1990
- Adrian Ilie’s jersey from World Cup 1998
- Ciobotariu’s jersey from Hagi’s gala on April 24, 2001
- Sabău’s jersey from Gică Popescu’s retirement in 2004, Craiova
- Mutu’s jerseys from World Cups 2006 and 2010
- Drăguș and Niță’s jerseys from Euro 2024
These items were either worn by the players or belong to the respective competition’s set, though they were not used in games.
“The highest amount I’ve paid to acquire any of these jerseys? Let’s just say it involves sums with at least three zeros!” Radu Simionescu, founder of SICAR Museum Ploiești.
A Unique Piece: Jersey from Controversial 1990 Friendly Match with Marseille
Additionally, two rare pieces complete the collection. The first is the jersey worn by the Romanian national team during the famous friendly against Marseille, held in January 1990, just a month after the fall of Ceaușescu.
This match was arranged through the controversial owner of the French team, Bernard Tapie, purportedly for charitable purposes. Funds were intended for the victims of the Revolution, but their direction remains uncertain even years later.
Furthermore, the jersey of Lucia Cormoș Ghioc, a member of Romania’s women’s national team during its first match in history against Italy in the fall of 1990, is also on display.
“We Raised €50,000 from Two Auctions. Cristiano was the Best Seller!”
The Sports Museum in Ploiești is expected to gain permanent status in the coming months.
Radu Simionescu recently auctioned unique pieces, raising funds to support the project in the city known for “black gold.”
“We raised around €50,000 from both events,” says Simionescu. Among the sold exhibits were some truly unique jerseys, all signed by the respective players:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – €2,500
- Lamine Yamal (Spain) – €2,250
- Diego Maradona (Argentina) – €2,000
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – €1,800
- Gheorghe Hagi (Barcelona) – €1,800
- Adrian Mutu (Chelsea) – €1,400
- Pele (New York Cosmos) – €1,000
- Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) – €900
Petrolul Room: Heartfelt Exhibits from the Romanian Cup Wins in 1995 and 2013
One of the rooms is dedicated exclusively to the history of Petrolul. Key elements include the yellow-blue jerseys from the Romanian Cup finals won in 1995 and 2013.
It also showcases equipment inscribed with the sponsor “Leoni,” used shortly after the Revolution when the team made an appearance in the UEFA Cup, facing Anderlecht in two matches, both resulting in 0-2 defeats.
There are also jerseys from the best playmakers in Petrolul’s post-Revolution history, Mutu and Budescu, along with an impressive collection of memorabilia provided by the family of former international Mihai Mocanu, who played as a left-back for the national team in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
“I Would Prefer to See the National Team at Final Tournaments”
“Many surprises from different eras are prepared here. It’s regrettable that the value of each of these jerseys increases as Romania continues to miss out on final tournaments every two years. I would prefer to see the national team at final tournaments,” noted Radu Simionescu.
He added, “For the permanent exhibition related to Petrolul, we have over 400 items in the collection. However, only around 50 are displayed, and we rotate them every six months. This is our way of allowing the public to periodically see what this club has meant and continues to mean, despite the current challenges it faces.”
