Atletico Madrid will bring back their old logo by popular demand starting from the 2024-25 season.
88.68% of the club's 77,690 special members voted to return to the original crest worn between 1947 and 2016. The 48-hour voting process (here's the referendum link) successfully ended today, June 30, ensuring the team reverts to its traditional crest.
The iconic badge of Atlético Madrid traces its roots back to 1917. Before that, the Madrid-based club sported the emblem of Athletic Club Bilbao, their original muse.
The current Atletico shield encapsulates the elements we associate with the team today – the bear and strawberry tree borrowed from the city's coat of arms, the seven gleaming white stars, and the trademark red and white stripes.
However, the updated 2017 crest version failed to win over the club's most ardent supporters, who prefer tradition over the modern badge look. Six years later, they'll get their wish.
What are the differences between the badges?
A quick scan of the two badges may make them appear similar. But upon a second look, one can spot notable differences.
The current “modern” badge (shown below on the left) features a more rounded structure. The bear also got flipped in reverse, and the tree centralized and made blue. The stripes also thickened.
Meanwhile, the original logo – and the “old” new one the majority voted to reinstate for the 2024/25 season — features the classic shield shape. The green strawberry tree reappears, as well as the brown bark and black bear — a nod back to the skeuomorphic design of the past. The four red stripes are also thinner.
The club's players, revered legends, and even coach Diego Simeone rallied behind the initiative on social media platforms. They actively voiced their fondness and nostalgia for the former emblem. Manufacturer Nike has also approved to remake the old look.
What other teams (😉 Juventus) could use a return to their old shield design?
Photo: Twitter/Atleti
