In the run up to this year’s Euros competition in Germany, Zalando turns its focus to the country’s grassroots football community, celebrating their dedication to the sport through a series of events in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.

The brand kicked off the three-part programming last week in Berlin, taking over the OST Hafen venue on the east side of the city. Regularly playing host to a range of cultural events and festivals, this time the venue’s industrial-style space was repurposed for an evening of football matches where local teams competed in an after-hours community tournament.

As a center point of the event, the tournament was designed to “light up” the gameplay of undiscovered talent through a spectacle of floodlights and LED tubes illuminating the arena. Speaking on the importance of championing the grassroots community, Austrian football player and Zalando partner David Alaba says, “Football has the power to unite people and we want to use this opportunity to celebrate the passion for the game. I also started out on the pitch and have met people along the way who have made a lasting impression on me. Now I want to inspire others to believe in their talents and live out the fun of football.”

The games were hosted by host Tsellot, a figurehead in Berlin’s grassroots football scene founding sports crews such as Goalsngyals. Through her guidance, the teams were led to the final stage of the competition which saw Berliner SC and Türkiyemspor Berlin battle it out for the top spot. After a close match, Türkiyemspor Berlin was crowned as winner.

Following the main tournament, the teams joined guests in the surrounding outdoor area which was built up into a pop-up marketplace. Amongst chill-out zones and DJ booths, local food vendors were on location, fuelling crowds up on a variety of street food and drinks. To end the night, attendees were able to browse a range of products at the event such as football jerseys, matching shorts and other gym accessories.

Take a look at what went down at the event in the gallery above.

To shop Zalando’s dedicated football range, head to its website now.

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