Photo essay: Matchday with The Unicorns

Berlin’s amateur and semi-professional football scene is as strong as anywhere — anywhere — in Europe. Arguably, from top to bottom, no football culture is as vibrant or as distinct as that found in Berlin. Over 200,000 club members and almost 400 clubs make up the city’s football landscape.

SFCF Internazionale — otherwise known as The Unicorns — are a proudly affiliated amateur team of SFC Friedrichshain. The Unicorns epitomise everything wonderful about the city’s relationship with the game. Anchored in the heart of Friedrichshain at the Kurt-Ritter-Sportplatz, the club proudly stands up for acceptance and against racism, homophobia and sexism in the game.

Ryu Voelkel is a sports photographer based in Berlin. His cinematic portrayals of a typical Unicorns matchday not only capture the spirit of the club, but also the spirit of Berlin’s rich variety of amateur and semi-professional football teams. His images encapsulate perfectly the ritual of a weekend matchday at your local neighbourhood Sportplatz.

To see more of Ryu’s spectacular work, visit his website or reach him via Instagram. You can also follow the progress and learn more about SFCF Inter via their website or via Instagram.