F.C. København, commonly known as FC Copenhagen, is a Danish professional football club based in the capital. The club’s visual identity centers on a circular crest featuring a blue lion’s head, the club name, and the red and white colors of the Danish flag (Dannebrog).[1]
Design and History
The club crest was created in 1992, the year F.C. København was formed through a merger of Copenhagen clubs KB and B1903.[1][2] The idea for the logo came from Keld Jørgensen, KB’s football chairman, who was closely involved in establishing the new club. Jørn Lundvang, an art director and co-founder of the Copenhagen advertising agency Independence House, produced the final drawing in 1992.[3]
According to a 1992 club match programme, a working group with equal representation from KB and B1903 set criteria for the new club’s mark. It had to signal Copenhagen, Denmark, and a major club; be easy to understand and reproduce, including for foreigners; allow supporters to rally around it; and avoid dominance by either founding club. The round shape was retained because both KB and B1903 had round badges.[3]
In July 2024, F.C. København presented an updated visual identity developed with the Copenhagen design agency Kontrapunkt.[4] The primary crest was retained but slightly modernised. The club stated that the name received new, specially designed letters adapted to the circular shape for better readability, and that the curves and spaces of the lion’s head were improved for increased recognition on smaller surfaces.[1] The lion symbol was also given a more distinctive and modern expression.[4]
The 2024 refresh also introduced a new coat of arms as a secondary brand mark, along with new fonts inspired by Copenhagen street signs and a larger selection of colours, elements, and icons.[4] The new elements were scheduled to appear on the men’s team shirts from the 2025/26 season.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The crest consists of three elements: the lion’s head, the club name, and the colours of the Danish flag.[1] The club’s official brand guidelines describe the lion as inspired by the lion motif prevalent in Copenhagen, representing regality.[6] In the club’s own 1992 description, the lion was characterised as a traditional symbol of strength and noble birth, and it created the possibility for supporters to identify the team as “the blue lions,” “the lions,” or “the white lions.”[3]
The new coat of arms introduced in 2024 pays tribute to Copenhagen. According to the club, it features an abstract representation of the city, including its spires, towers, stone bridges, and harbour. Above this, a crown and the Danish flag symbolise the club’s heritage as the “Royal Club from Copenhagen.” A lion and a lioness stand guard on either side of the city, symbolising the men’s and women’s teams united for Copenhagen.[1]
Typography and Design
As part of the 2024 identity update, the club introduced custom typefaces. FCK Sans and FCK Serif, used for headlines, take inspiration from historic Copenhagen street signs. FCK Text, a geometric sans-serif family, is used for body text.[1][6]
According to the club’s official brand guidelines, the logo is available in one of three colours: white, black, or FCK Blue. The flag element in the primary logo is only red when the logo colour is FCK Blue.[6]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
