We decided that now is the time to delve into the history, so we are telling you the meaning of the logos of some football clubs.
ATLETICO MADRID
A bear grazing at a strawberry tree has been a feature of the coat of arms for the City of Madrid since the 13th century. Seven stars represent the Ursa Major constellation, which itself represents a bear. This version of the crest will be in use starting with the 2017-18 season, coinciding with the club's move from the Vicente Calderon stadium to the Wanda Metropolitano.
FC BARCELONA
As a club, Barcelona is often regarded as a symbol of Catalonian nationalism. As such, the red and yellow stripes of the Catalonia flag are featured in the upper right side of the crest. On the upper left is the cross of St. George, who is seen as the patron saint of the city of Barcelona. The St. George's cross is also commonly known as the flag of England.
BAYERN MUNICH
The blue and white diamonds come from the flag of Bavaria, the region of Germany where Munich is located. The logo of German car company BMW features the same colors.
SL BENFICA
In the background of the crest of this Portuguese club is a bicycle wheel. That's because an earlier incarnation of the club, known as Grupo Sport Benfica, was initially founded with cycling as the main focus.
CHELSEA
The lion, which was added to Chelsea’s logo in the 1950s, isn’t a reference to the three on the English coat of arms (which are walking), but rather to the rampant, “reguardant” lions (which are looking backward) used by the historic Cadogan family. Cadogans have been earls and lords and Viscounts Chelsea. One was the first president of the club and another was chairman as recently as 1982. Jockeys racing the family’s horses wore blue in the 19th century, and the Cadogans still have significant landholdings in the Chelsea area.
FENERBAHCE
The best part of the crest is the yellow band across the blue shield, which symbolizes the “admiration and envy” others feel for the Istanbul club. Designed by a player a few years after the club’s 1907 founding, the logo also represents “nobility” (the blue), “purity and open-mindedness” (white), “love” and the Turkish flag (red) and “success” (green). The oak leaf stands for “resistance, power and strength.” Fener sets a high bar.
VALENCIA
The famous bat comes from Valencia’s city coat of arms, which also features the red and yellow stripes of King James I of Aragon, who took Valencia from the Moors in the 1200s. The legend is that a bat flew toward the king, or landed on or near his flag-depending on what you read—as he was entering the city and so became a symbol of good fortune. The bat appears on the crest of several Spanish cities and on the logos of additional clubs like Albacete and Levante.
MANCHESTER UNITED
The shield in United’s crest used to feature the Manchester city arms—a sailing ship on top and three diagonal stripes below. During the 1960s, as the club moved forward from the Munich disaster and the Busby Babes era, manager Matt Busby thought a new nickname was appropriate. He reportedly was inspired by the nearby Salford rugby club, which had been dubbed “Les Diables Rouges” during a 1934 tour of France. United adopted the Red Devils nickname, and in 1970, the devil became part of the badge.
PANATHINAIKOS
Why does the largest club in the city of Athens wear a traditional Irish symbol? Because of a Canadian, so the story goes. His name was William Sherring, and in 1906, he won the marathon at the “intercalated” Olympic Games in Athens. Sherring raced for Hamilton’s St. Patrick’s Athletic Club and ran with a huge shamrock on his shirt. It was high-profile stuff. Greece’s crown prince even joined Sherring on his final lap inside the Panathenaic Stadium. Panathinaikos was formed two years later and shortly thereafter, while looking for a symbol that might unite a diverse city, it chose the shamrock that Sherring made famous.
PORTO
Atop the Portuguese power’s complex crest sits the dragon, which has become such an important symbol of the club that its stadium opened in 2003 is called Estádio do Dragão. The green wyvern was associated with the royal House of Braganza. It was through one of its kings, Pedro IV, that the dragon became linked to Porto, which withstood a year-long siege during a civil war in the early 1830s. Dom Pedro successfully defended the city against his brother, but died of tuberculosis shortly thereafter. But before that, in recognition of Porto’s efforts, he bestowed the motto “Invicta,” or “undefeated” on the city, which adopted the Braganza dragon in return.
Sources: https://www.si.com/