Genoa Cricket and Football Club, founded on September 7, 1893 at the British Consulate in Genoa, is the oldest football club in Italy and the only football-based society still active among the seven clubs that formed the Italian Football Federation in 1898.[1] The club’s visual identity is built around the griffin, the mythological creature that serves as the symbol of the city of Genoa, and the Cross of St. George, the red cross on a white field that was the emblem of the medieval Republic of Genoa.[2]
Design and History
The current Genoa crest is a red and blue quartered shield with the Cross of St. George in the upper portion and a griffin at the center. The club presented its most recent rebranding on June 14, 2022, at midnight, after a day of teaser posts on the club’s official social channels.[3] The update preserved the overall shield structure while softening its curves and point, and introduced a redrawn griffin with more sinuous and slender forms, spread wings, a tail pointing upward, a combative gaze and sharp claws.[3]
The 2022 redesign was described by the club as conveying “the centenary origins of the oldest club in Italy and its vocation for the future, in a simple but incisive way.”[3] The tail position was a notable detail: the raised tail echoed the decision of the Municipality of Genoa, which in 2000 restored the upward-pointing tail of the city’s griffins after it had been lowered by the Savoy dynasty in 1815.[4] The new identity was also linked to the ownership’s goal of internationalizing the brand under 777 Partners.[5]
The club’s historical visual archive includes several distinct griffin incarnations. One of the most beloved is the stylized griffin known as the “Gallinaccio,” which appeared on official kits in the early 1980s and was revived for the 2024/25 away shirt after more than 40 years.[6] The club’s official museum and foundation launched a digital archive in 2026 dedicated to documenting the evolution of Genoa’s shirts and crests throughout the club’s history.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The griffin is the mythological symbol of the city of Genoa and appears in the club’s crest alongside the Cross of St. George.[2] The Cross of St. George has deep historical roots: in the Middle Ages, the Republic of Genoa used it to protect its ships, and according to one legend, England obtained permission to sail under the same flag in exchange for tribute.[2] The club’s official communications describe the Cross of St. George as “one of the deepest symbols of the Genoese club’s identity.”[2]
The club’s red and blue colors have been used since 1901, when they replaced the original all-white kit worn in the club’s earliest years.[8] The Cross of St. George has appeared on Genoa shirts since 1913.[9]
Typography and Design
The 2022 redesign statement noted that the shield’s structure was preserved while its curves and point were softened and the outline gained greater elegance.[3] The club’s official communications describe the new griffin as having “sinuous and slender forms, spread wings, tail pointing upward, combative gaze and sharp claws.”[3] The redesign was described by observers as a streamlining intended to make the logo “even more modern and functional for online communication” while maintaining its link to the club’s history and colors.[10]
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