The exhibition matches were a highlight of the event.
Horia Tecău’s retirement match was a true tennis spectacle. Alongside his special guests, the athlete put on an incredible show in front of over 7,000 fans gathered at BT Arena. The matches were an unconventional mix of gameplay and surprise moments. An Olympic silver medalist and three-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, Horia Tecău played his official retirement match, joined by Simona Halep, Swedish player Robert Lindstedt (his former doubles partner), Bethanie Mattek-Sands (his former mixed doubles partner with whom he won the Australian Open), Andrei Pavel, and Marius Copil. Even Patrick Mouratoglou, Simona Halep’s coach, stepped onto the court. Before Tecău’s match, hundreds of tennis enthusiasts attended Patrick’s masterclass, The Art of Coaching.
Adrian Mutu’s retirement match was the gala event that brought nearly 20,000 football fans to Cluj Arena. Split into two teams, World Stars and Team Romania, Romanian and international football legends delivered an incredible show. It was a sweet reunion and a return to the pitch for some of the greatest players, former teammates of the man who, alongside Gheorghe Hagi, scored the most goals for Romania’s national team. The opening ball was delivered in style by Iulian Zaharie, a 10-time national champion in Trial Bike, who performed tricks on one wheel before reaching Adrian Mutu. The ball, later signed by all the attending legends, was put up for sale on the Tazz app, with proceeds going to a noble cause.
Team Romania included Bogdan Stelea, Răzvan Raț, Eduard Stăncioiu, Mirel Rădoi, Ianis Zicu, Paul Codrea, Ciprian Marica, Gheorghe Hagi, Adrian Mutu, Dorin Goian, Giani Kiriță, Bogdan Pătrașcu, Marius Niculae, Ionel Ganea, Adrian Borza, Daniel Niculae, Cristian Săpunaru, Adrian Iencsi, Vasile Maftei, Ionel Dănciulescu, and Gabi Tamaș. The World Stars lineup featured Sebastian Frey, Vlada Avramov, Dario Dainelli, Fabio Cannavaro, Claude Makélélé, Franco Semioli, Martin Jørgensen, Luca Toni, Adrian Mutu, Alberto Gilardino, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Riccardo Montolivo, Massimo Gobbi, David Trezeguet, Tomáš Ujfaluši, Erjon Bogdani, Emanuele Blasi, Paolo Cannavaro, Marco Donadel, and Paweł Golański. Among the great champions present in Cluj, Cesare Prandelli, former coach of Fiorentina, also stood by Adrian Mutu’s side.
Another major moment during the match’s opening was the celebration of 100 years since Romania’s national football team played its first match! The country’s most famous number tens, and its top scorers for the national team, Gheorghe Hagi and Adrian Mutu, along with their former teammates, wore a special anniversary yellow jersey during warm-ups—a replica of the kit worn by Romania’s team in their first match in June 1922
Adrian Mutu’s autobiography, Revenirea din infern (Return from Hell), was also launched at Sports Festival, in an event that filled the hall to capacity.
The Superhero Run
The Superhero Run saw nearly 900 runners competing for a noble cause: the Public Hospitals from Private Funds project, whose mission is to bring Romania’s hospitals to the highest standards through renovation, rehabilitation, and modern equipment. The cause is supported by Codin Maticiuc, who also ran the race alongside celebrities and influencers like Selly (Andrei Șelaru), Ana Morodan, Dani Oțil and Răzvan Simion, Monica and Ana Odagiu, Giulia and Vlad Huidu, Alex Cazacu, George Tănase, Ionuț Rusu, Cosmin Stanciu, Cosmin Natanticu, Ioana State, Robert Zanidache, Cătălin Cazacu, Andrei Ciobanu, Sorana Darclee, and Andrei Stoica.
The Parade of Sports Clubs was a stunning display of the beauty and diversity of the sports world, featuring over 2,000 children and athletes from participating clubs. The parade marched with flags from Cluj-Napoca’s Central Park to the festival stage at Cluj Arena. The sports celebration continued with acrobatic jumps from the famous OK WORLD WIDE troupe from a height of 11 meters, zumba performances, cheerleading shows from Cluj’s teams, and breakdance battles. On the festival stage, the career of Romania’s greatest volleyball player, Cristina Pîrv, was also honored.
Over 13,000 children and adults discovered their athletic skills and passion for sports, trying out activities like aikido, basketball, cross-training, kayaking, darts, climbing, fitness, football, yoga/pilates, gymnastics, handball, kyokushin, mountain biking, rugby, roundnet, skiing, fencing, teqball, tennis, table tennis, and volleyball. Coaches and experienced players taught them the rules, and they could complete a sports marathon circuit, earning stamps and medals in a special sports passport for each sport they learned. Participation was free.
In addition to sports initiations, Sports Festival hosted multiple competitions:
- The national children’s football tournament, organized with the Romanian Football Federation, gathering 84 teams from across the country
- The first stage of the National Mini-Rugby Championship, organized with the Romanian Rugby Federation, featuring 300 children
- The National Darts League final, in partnership with the Romanian Darts Federation
- E-games Superbattles: the first in-person LAN championship with a live audience in three years, featuring Romania’s top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players
- A beach volleyball tournament
- Skateboarding, BMX, and scooter competitions for amateurs and professionals
- A chess tournament for children
- Table tennis competitions for kids
- A professional moto-enduro contest
The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee was represented at Sports Festival by its president, Mihai Covaliu, alongside Olympic athletes Laura Ilie, Anca Șipoș, and Ana-Maria Popescu.
Sports Talks, the festival’s special discussion segment, brought top athletes to share insights into mentorship, life as a professional athlete, success, perseverance, and dedication. This edition featured speakers such as Adrian Mutu, Cristina Pîrv, Jaqueline Cristian, Ilie Năstase, Horia Tecău, Ana Maria Brânză, Mihai Covaliu, and Tiberiu Ușeriu, among others.
The Kilometer Zero attraction was the Sports Festival Tower near the BT Arena stage. OK WORLD WIDE, known globally from Got Talent competitions, returned to Sports Festival with their unique bagjump acrobatics show, performing aerial stunts from an 11-meter height.
The festival also featured relaxation zones, on-stage workout classes, movement challenges offered by local sports clubs, and concerts. Performers included Hazard, Olivia Addams, and Antonia. On Saturday, football fans gathered to watch Romania’s Nations League match against Finland, broadcast live at the festival stage in partnership with Cluj-Napoca City Hall. The event also marked the opening of a new food & chill area in the former municipal swimming pool location.
Sports Festival took place across multiple locations, including Central Park, the Children’s Park near the stadium, Radisson Park, Aleea Stadionului, Cluj Arena, the Cluj Arena Plateau, BT Arena, Iuliu Hațieganu Park, and Rozelor Park.
