PSG: Paris more than Saint-Germain (2013)
In 2013, two years after their arrival at the head of the club, the new Qatari owners of PSG decided to attack the logo. The circle, with a red Eiffel Tower in its frame, is preserved, but we notice that “Paris” and “Saint-Germain” are dissociated, and that the name of the capital appears much larger than that of the city of Yvelines. The goal is to develop above all the Parisian image in order to conquer foreign markets.
Yes a petition, after the leak of a first version in the press, had been launched by some supporters to denounce a clarification of blue, which was likely to approach that of OM, the final result generally goes well with lovers of the club. On the other hand, it is the grimace soup on the side of the town hall of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Because in addition to its visual downgrading, the royal city of Yvelines sees the cradle of Louis XIV disappear (in favor of a larger fleur-de-lis), symbol of the town. “Many people find it difficult to understand its meaning,” then explains Jean-Claude Blanc, director general of PSG. Furthermore, the club’s creation date, 1970, has disappeared. Explanation of the DG: “It does not compare with other big European clubs which have rather 1800 at the beginning of their date.”
>>> Bordeaux: a new logo soon to be presented
Nice: a homecoming (2013)
It was also in 2013 that OGC Nice chose to revise its visual representation, to mark the start of a new era before the inauguration of the Allianz Riviera. The Riviera club had not changed logo since 1992, making it the oldest of the elite. In order to avoid a sling, Nice previously consulted its players, partners and especially its supporters. For a fairly “traditional” result.
The heraldic eagle, emblem of the city, grows and adorns itself with gold, to enclose a red and black coat of arms. We also observe that Nice reappears in full, while the mention “Côte d’Azur” disappears. Finally, the date of creation of the club is visible, preceded by a word in Nice, “Despi” (since). A kind of homecoming, therefore, assumed by the club. “When you build a project, many things have to change, explains president Jean-Pierre Rivère. But the important thing is to do it without forgetting where we come from. “
Caen: the Vikings get off the boat (2016)
In 2007, during a previous logo change, the Stade Malherbe Caen had angered its fans by suppressing the longship. So nine years later, the club decides to redeem itself by redoing the spotlight on Viking imagery. Blue and red remain on the coat of arms, but a man’s face, a helmeted warrior, with a beard and determined gaze, appears.
Inspired by a few American franchises, this logo is a small revolution in France, no professional club having opted for a human face as a representation. And it is rather a success with the public. “The imagery around the Vikings, cornerstone of the new identity of the SMC, refers to the Norman origins of the Stade Malherbe, dear to the Caen supporters”, welcomes training. We also note, as on the PSG logo, an enhancement of “Caen” rather than “Stade Malherbe”.
Lille: a very marketing mastiff (2018)
Only six years after its last “renovation”, LOSC estimates in 2018 that it is time to review its logo again. A few months earlier, Gérard Lopez arrived at the head of the northern club, and the president visibly wants to mark his territory, with a pentagon (like the citadel of Lille) struck with a huge Mastiff head.
Some supporters, who appreciated the 2012 logo, regret too much simplification (the term “Lille” disappears), and lend the new management the will to definitely draw a line under the past. Especially since the club’s press release is very “marketing”: “This transformation aims to mark the new dynamic in which the sports club and the company joined in 2017 with the challenge of regaining leadership on all land “, can we read in particular. Colorful, but not very warm.
Toulouse: the vintage and collaborative opposite (2018)
At a time of extreme modernization and the simplification of badges, the TFC made another bet in 2018. Goodbye the basic logo with the purple and white stripes of the early 2000s, place something more worked, but also more symbolic. Inside a circle recalling the name of the club in full, as well as its date of creation, appears the coat of arms of the city with the Occitan cross, the Saint-Sernin basilica and the Narbonnais castle.
The set, which may recall the work of Manchester City, is in fact a mix of the logos of 1937, 1986 and 2001 (the bands are slightly visible). In a fairly conservative supporter environment, the result is obviously appreciated. For the record, the logo was also imagined by a lover of Tefecé. “This logo is nothing other than a refined version of the 80th anniversary anniversary coat of arms of the club (from 2017, editor’s note), produced by Julien Labazuy, supporter of Téf, and acclaimed last year by all lovers of Violets”, call the club, who only had to rework it slightly. Enough to seduce the stands, while avoiding to call on a communication agency. One stone, two shots.
Nîmes: the big missed (2017, then 2018)
After a close-up in Ligue 1, the Nîmes Olympique offered itself in June 2017 a good little psychodrama. Without warning, without seeing anyone concerted, the Gard club presents on social networks a new, rather retro logo. The crocodile is still there, but only the head remains, surrounded by a green laurel wreath. Extremely dissatisfied, supporters speak of “amateurism”, “old-fashioned”, and compare the animal head to “a glove to get the dishes from the oven”. More seriously, the Gladiators and the Nemausus, the two main fan groups, then called for a boycott of the club’s subscription campaign and the purchase of derivatives bearing the new badge.
Two weeks later, President Rani Assaf is to perform a large coaster. The club announces that this new logo will be discontinued quickly and that a new selection will be made with the supporters, before being put to a public vote.
The NO keeps its promise, and in May 2018, just before the rise in Ligue 1, the club unveiled a new logo validated by the people. The crocodile’s body was not found, but the laurels were hunted in favor of arches symbolizing the arenas of Nîmes. And there are only two colors left: red, and white.
Nantes: Juventus-sur-Loire (2019)
FC Nantes did not want to see his copy again, but he did not spare himself a controversy either … In spring 2019, at the end of a trying season, marked by the disappearance of Emiliano Sala, the club of Loire-Atlantique presents a new, extremely refined logo: a green “N” on a yellow background, surmounted by the name of the club. Only the ermine, reminiscent of the city’s membership in the Duchy of Brittany, is preserved. The schooner, like the eight stars celebrating the titles of champion of France, pass through the door.
The fans, who already have Waldemar Kita in their sights, immediately accuse the president of denying the history of the club. Face the grumbling, the Canaries explain that “the evolution of the logo responds to the need to develop the influence and the imprint of FC Nantes”, and say “regret” the timing of this change, as does “not having found a optimal mechanics to integrate fans into the creation process. ” Without changing anything in the result.
In addition, observers quickly notice a resemblance to the style of the new Juventus logo (a “J” surmounted by the club name), unveiled in January 2017. An Italian club which had deprived the FCN of a League final champions in 1996. Curious tribute.
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