Barcelona Logo Evolution: Compare Old and New Versions

Searches for the Barcelona logo's evolution almost always concern the FC Barcelona football club crest, not the visual identity of the City of Barcelona, which is a separate design system. This guide covers the club crest. It explains how the crest developed and compares the older drawings with the current one, so you can judge a redesign or choose the right version for a project.

The Short Answer

The FC Barcelona crest has kept the same basic structure for more than a century. The top is divided between the St George's Cross and the Catalan flag. A horizontal band carries the club initials. The large lower field has blue and garnet vertical stripes with a football. Since then, the changes have been limited to:

• The initials, which changed when the club's official name changed
• The number of stripes in the Catalan flag section
• The drawing quality: line weight, curve smoothness and how far details were simplified

The version in use today is widely reported to date from a 2002 redraw. That redraw simplified the lettering and outlines without changing the overall layout. The main gap between old and new is execution, not concept.

Evidence note: no source documents, official brand guidelines or logo specimens came with this brief. The dates, names and motivations below come from commonly reported club history, not from records checked for this article. Confirm them against the club's official archive or brand materials before using them in published or commercial work.

How the Crest Developed

1899–1910: The City Arms

In its early years, the club is generally reported to have used the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona. That emblem is a lozenge shape split between the St George's Cross and the Catalan stripes, topped by a crown and a bat. It was a borrowed civic symbol, not a club-specific design. That is why later histories treat it as a precursor, not as the first true club crest.

1910: The Members' Competition

Club histories commonly state that a members' competition was held around 1910. The winning entry is usually credited to Carles Comamala, a player and student at the club. His design set up the layout that survives today:

• A shape often compared to a pitcher (a 'cántaro'), with a lobed top and a rounded, tapering bottom
• The upper left section with the St George's Cross
• The upper right section with the Catalan flag
• A central band carrying the initials F.C.B.
• A lower field of blaugrana stripes with a football

The cross and the Catalan stripes are carried over from the city arms. This continuity can be seen by comparing the two emblems. Any statement that the 1910 design was meant to express a specific identity should be traced to a club record before it is presented as intent.

Mid-Century Changes Tied to the Club's Name

Club histories report that during the Franco era, around 1940, the club had to adopt a Spanish-language name. The initials changed from FCB to CFB. In the same period, the Catalan flag section was reportedly cut to two red stripes. Around the club's 50th anniversary, in 1949, the four stripes are reported to have returned.

The FCB initials came back after the original Catalan name was restored, which is usually dated to 1973–1974. These were political and legal constraints, not aesthetic choices. Treat the exact years as needing confirmation.

2002: The Modern Redraw

The current crest is commonly attributed to a 2002 redesign by the Catalan designer Claret Serrahima. Widely reported changes include:

• Removing the full stops so F.C.B. became FCB
• Redrawing the initials in a cleaner, more uniform typeface
• Smoothing and simplifying the outer contour
• Giving the football and internal dividers a more consistent line weight
• Reducing small details that broke down at small sizes

The usual explanation is modernization and better reproduction across media. That fits what the redraw visibly does, but quote the designer or club directly for any claimed motivation.

Later Proposals

Around 2018, the club presented a further simplified proposal. It is widely reported to have dropped the initials from the central band and flattened the shapes even more. It was not adopted as the official crest, and the 2002 version remains in use. The exact steps of the proposal and its withdrawal should be checked against club announcements if they matter to your work.

Comparing the Old and New Versions

The table compares the pre-2002 crest as it was commonly reproduced with the post-2002 crest. The points are visible features you can check yourself.

Criterion | Pre-2002 crest (as commonly reproduced) | Post-2002 crest

Overall layout | Pitcher-like shield with cross, Catalan flag, initials band and striped field | Same layout

Initials | F.C.B. with full stops, more traditional lettering | FCB without stops, cleaner and more uniform letterforms

Outline and contour | Thinner, sometimes uneven strokes; curves vary between reproductions | Heavier, consistent outline; smoother, more regular curves

Internal detail | More small elements and finer lines, especially in the ball | Simplified ball and dividers with fewer fine details

Color | Blaugrana stripes, red and yellow flag, red cross on white, gold or yellow border; shades vary by source | Same color scheme; exact values should come from official guidelines

Small-size legibility | Fine lines and stops tend to fill in or vanish when reduced | Built to hold up better at small sizes because of simpler shapes

Consistency across sources | Many slightly different drawings exist | One standard drawing is more likely to be reproduced

Caveats on this comparison:

• It is based on general observation of widely circulated versions, not side-by-side official specimens at matched sizes.
• No legibility or scaling tests were supplied.
• Claims that one version performs better at a given size are expectations based on line weight and detail density, not measured results.

Which Version Fits Your Purpose

• Historical articles, timelines or retro merchandise studies: use the version that matches the period, and note which era it represents. The initials (F.C.B., CFB or FCB) and the stripe count are the quickest ways to date a drawing.
• Current references, editorial illustrations or interface mockups: use the post-2002 crest, because it is the one fans recognize today.
• Small sizes such as favicons, app icons or embroidery: the post-2002 drawing is the safer starting point because of its simpler details. Test it at the actual output size before you commit.
• Redesign critique: compare like with like. Use clean vector specimens at the same size and on the same background, not a crisp modern file against a scanned vintage print.

Working With Vector Files of the Crest

A file labeled SVG, EPS or AI is not necessarily a true vector drawing. Some contain an embedded raster image, and others are auto-traced files with uneven curves and too many anchor points. To check a file:

• Open it in a vector editor and switch to outline view.
• Look for clean paths, consistent stroke treatment and sensible layer or group structure.
• Compare colors against an authoritative reference, not another unofficial download.

The crest is a registered trademark of the club. Finding a downloadable file does not give you permission to use it. Commercial, promotional or merchandise use generally needs authorization from the rights holder. Editorial or commentary use may follow different rules depending on your jurisdiction, so check before publishing.

Gaps to Fill Before Relying on This Guide

• Exact dates for each change, especially the wartime and post-war changes to the initials and stripes, confirmed from club records
• Designer credits for 1910 and 2002 confirmed from attributable sources
• The club's stated reasons for the 2002 redraw and the 2018 proposal, quoted directly, not inferred
• Official color values and clear-space rules from current brand guidelines
• Side-by-side specimens of each historical version at matched sizes for a rigorous visual comparison