FC Basel 1893, commonly known as FC Basel or FCB, is a Swiss professional football club based in Basel. The club’s visual identity centers on a shield-shaped crest divided vertically, with the left half in red and the right half in blue, outlined in gold and bearing the gold letters “FCB” in the center, an abbreviation of the club’s German name “Fussballclub Basel.”[1]
Design and History
The club was founded on 15 November 1893, and its traditional red and blue colors trace back to some of its founders, who were members of the “Basler Ruder-Club,” a rowing club whose colors were red and blue.[2] This heritage earned the club the nickname “RotBlau,” Swiss German for “RedBlue.”[2]
The current crest is a shield with a red left half and a blue right half, a gold outline, and gold “FCB” lettering in the center.[1] The crest is worn on the center of the chest on matchday shirts rather than on the traditional left side.[1]
A notable addition to the crest came in 2017. Following the club’s 20th Swiss championship title, FC Basel announced it would wear a second star above the club crest on its matchday shirts starting with the 2017/18 season.[3] Each star symbolizes ten championship titles.[4] Macron, the club’s kit manufacturer, has described the two stars on the crest as symbolizing the club’s 21 Swiss Championship titles in its 2025/26 kit launch materials.[5]
For special kit releases, the club has used monochrome versions of the crest. A 2025/26 third kit featured a monochrome black version composed solely of the FCB acronym with two stars,[6] while a 2024/25 third kit included a monochrome crest topped by the two stars.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The red and blue halves of the shield directly reflect the club’s traditional playing colors, which originated with the founders’ rowing club affiliation.[2] The “FCB” monogram stands for “Fussballclub Basel,” the club’s German name.[1]
The two stars above the crest are championship stars, each representing ten Swiss league titles won by the club.[4]
Typography and Design
In 2023, a custom typeface named “1893” was developed exclusively for FC Basel. Originally conceived as a shirt typeface for player numbers and names, it was later used more broadly by the club. The typeface received a Swiss Design Award in the graphic design category from the Federal Office of Culture in 2024.[8]
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