FK Dinamo Tirana, now officially known as FC Dinamo City, is an Albanian football club based in Tirana, founded in 1950. The club’s visual identity has undergone several significant transformations, most notably a complete redesign in 2021 and a further rebranding in 2023.
Design and History
In June 2021, following the club’s promotion back to the Kategoria Superiore after nine years, Dinamo unveiled a completely redesigned logo. The club described the new mark as coming “with a modern style and concept based on the historical elements that have accompanied our club since its creation.” The defining contour of the logo and its two white lines were built based on the defining lines of the map of Tirana in 1950, the year that coincides with the founding of the club. The letter “D” appears curved according to the trajectory of the contour.[1][2]
In August 2023, the club was rebranded as FC Dinamo City, a change tied to a partnership project with Manchester City. The new logo was presented alongside new jerseys at a ceremony in Durrës.[3] The redesign drew criticism from supporters because the new crest displays the year 2023 instead of the club’s founding year of 1950.[4][5]
Prior to the 2021 redesign, the club’s long-standing emblem featured a traditional blue shield with a large white “D” at its centre. An earlier version, still registered with UEFA as of August 2023, consisted of a yellow circle with a blue “D” in the centre, accompanied by the initials KSD (Klubi Sportiv Dinamo) and the word “Tirana” below.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2021 logo design draws directly from the urban layout of Tirana. The club’s official statement explained that the contour of the logo and its two white lines were constructed based on the defining lines of the map of Tirana from 1950, the year of the club’s foundation. The curved “D” follows the trajectory of that contour, linking the club’s identity to its home city and its founding era.[1][2]
The club’s official history page notes that in 2023 the club adopted the name FC Dinamo City “thanks to a very ambitious project to also be part of the network of the big English club Manchester City.”[7] The 2023 logo was adapted to resemble that of Manchester City, the club with which a “twinning” partnership was formed.[5]
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