About us

Back in 2022, our founder got into what quickly became an expensive new hobby: collecting football shirts. As a lifelong football fan, it didn’t take long before curiosity turned into a real passion. He soon realised that brand-new shirts had become increasingly expensive, and that the second-hand market was a more accessible alternative, though finding authentic pieces was challenging in face of the many counterfeits circulating.

Learning to recognise genuine shirts became part of the journey, and over time this passion naturally grew into a small online business in France. For two years we sold shirts online, but something was missing: real connections, and people to share that passion with in person.

Having previously lived in Finland as students and fallen in love with the country, the decision was made to pack everything up and move back. That choice led to the opening of Off the Bench in Helsinki in November 2025.

Today, we carefully select and authenticate shirts from every era, with one simple goal: to keep football culture accessible and alive. We hope you enjoy what we do as much as we enjoy doing it. Thank you for being part of the journey.