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FC Barcelona are one of the most famous and successful clubs in the world. A global brand, the club is a strong representative of its values and cultures. Known for its fluid game style and producing some of the greatest players of all time, FC Barcelona's crest is a symbol of the club's values.
The club's tagline reads 'Mes Que Un Club', which translated to More Than A Club in English, and rightly so because of the presence of the club in various political and sporting discussion in Europe. FC Barcelona is regarded as a strong symbol of Catalanism.
"Why [is it] more than a club? Because it’s not just football; it’s cultural, it’s history, a fight for freedom, for rights.” - Pep Guardiola
FC Barcelona's historic crest is an amalgam of various symbols and references related to the club's glorious history. Let's have a look at how the crest has evolved through the years.
The Introductory Crest (1899 - 1910)
Founded in 1899 under the guidance of the legendary Joan Gamper, who later rescued the club from an economic crisis, FC Barcelona initially used the coat of arms of the City of Barcelona as it's logo.
A club run by supporters, FC Barcelona is a symbol of integrity among the people of people of Barcelona, hence the prestigious coat of arms was adopted as the initial crest of the club.
The early years at FC Barcelona were turbulent and there was no long-term goal among the founding fathers to take the club to the global stage.
Carles Comamala's Crest (1910 - 1936)
After surviving the economic crisis, Barcelona's founders agreed upon several long-term goals for the club, and in lieu of the big project, a competition was organised for the supporters of the club to decide the new crest of the club.
Footballer Carles Comamala, who played for FC Barcelona and was also an artist laid the foundations of Barcelona's current crest when his design was selected by the board to represent the club.
Comamala's design featured several references from Catalan history including the Saint George Cross, the Catalan national flag, and the Blaugrana colours.
Minor graphical alterations were made to the design in 1920 and 1936 keeping the fundamental design intact.
Franco's era (1941 - 1960)
As the central power in Spain toppled over into Franco's hand, the dictator abolished the use of foreign words in Spain, and he considered Catalan language and tradition as 'foreign'.
The board was forced to change the club's abbreviation from FCB to CFB, adopting the Spanish translation of Futbol Club Barcelona under orders from Madrid.
The Catalan flag was also removed due to pressure from Franco's government and was replaced by the Spanish flag.
By 1949, Franco's control over the Spanish people loosened and he succumbed to Barcelona's demand to use the Catalan flag on the club's 50th anniversary.
Ironically, it was under Franco's rule that FC Barcelona inaugurated their new and current stadium, the Camp Nou.
Post-Franco Era (1974 - 2001)
After the return of democracy in the region, FC Barcelona removed the crest imposed by Franco and returned to the basic design implemented back in 1910.
A few graphical alternations were made to make the crest look more pleasing to eye although the fundamental references from Comamala's design were retained.
A few more minor amendments were made to the design in 1975 and 1982.
Modern Era (2002 - Present)
Already a global superpower in sporting terms, FC Barcelona's made decided to replace the traditional crest with a refined version of Comamala's design in accordance with modern standards.
The change is design was implemented to ease the reproduction of the logo on various platforms and articles distributed by the club and it's sponsors.
The cosmetic touches to the logo were made upon artist Claret Serrahima's adaptation which made the logo more stylised and glorious to the eye.
One of the most glorious and prestigious clubs of all time, FC Barcelona has achieved massive heights in recent years making it the most successful club in Europe and the crest of the club is certain to don the shirts worn by legendary players for many years to come.
