12/05/2026
The Trophy Encounter in Sibiu
I was on a walking tour through the Large Square (PiaČa Mare) when I noticed two rather athletic people filming reels with a trophy that looked incredibly authenticânot at all like the cheap ones we used to hand out at the corporate foosball championships. They were right near the spot where, back in the Middle Ages, public executions used to take place in the center of Sibiu.
To my great surprise, I found out I had just crossed paths with the Romanian Football Federation Trophy. Itâs a massive silver cup that will be awarded tomorrow night to the national champion following the final at the Sibiu Municipal Stadium.
I touched it, told the tourists I was with about it, and went about my business, feeling as calm as ever. Football has never been my thing... and I ended up asking some silly questions, the kind someone who knows nothing about sports would ask, like: "When the cup is handed over, do they fill it with champagne?" Still, I figured it was a unique opportunity and that I had to feel the weight of that massive silver trophy, so I politely asked for permission to lift it.
After getting the verbal okay, I grabbed it with both hands and eased it off the ground. At that exact moment, a woman in a Police uniform started sprinting toward the trophyâand, by extension, toward me. It didn't just startle me; but everyone I was with. Feeling a bit panicked, I quickly but carefully put the cup back down.
When she reached me, the officerâphone in one hand and clearly excitedâasked the RFF representative if she could take a photo with the cup. She got her picture, and I went on my way.
PS: If you want to see smaller cups, but made of gold, the Teutsch House awaits you with an interesting collection signed by Sebastian Hann.
