RCD Espanyol, officially the Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona, is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Founded on 28 October 1900, the club is one of Spain’s oldest football institutions and competes in LaLiga. Its visual identity is built around a circular crest featuring blue and white diagonal stripes, a red outer ring, and a royal crown, elements that have evolved over more than a century of history.
Design and History
The club’s first crest, used from around 1901 to 1910, was a simple circle with the colours of the Spanish flag and the initials CEF, for Club Español de Fútbol. After the club ceased activities in 1906 and was refounded in 1909 as Club Deportivo Español, a new identity was adopted in 1910. That year, the club introduced its blue and white colours and a new crest, designed by club member Eduard Corrons. The design featured a red circle containing three vertical blue stripes on a white field, with the letters CDE arranged diagonally. The official club history records 1910 as the year the club first wore blue and white and used the new crest.[1]
In 1912, King Alfonso XIII granted the club the title of “Real” (Royal), and the entity became Real Club Deportivo Español. This allowed the club to add a crown to its crest. Corrons himself modified the design, incorporating the crown above the circle and widening the red border to include the lettering “Real Club Deportivo Español”. At the same time, the blue stripes changed from vertical to diagonal orientation.[2]
The crest underwent several revisions over the following decades. During the Spanish Republic (1931-1939), the crown was removed from the official logo, only to be restored in 1934 in a different form. Further refinements followed in 1940 and again in 1995, when the logo received bolder lines and brighter colours.[3]
The current crest has been in use since December 2005. It represents an evolution of the previous design by Pere Durán, with the main change being in the crown. The four red bars inside the crown were extended to fill the entire interior space, so that the crown now evokes the senyera, the Catalan flag. The yellow tones were also shifted to a more golden hue. This redesign was part of a new corporate identity developed by the agency Biplano, which also created a separate commercial brand under the initials RCDE for merchandise and products.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The blue and white colours have been the subject of historiographical debate. The club’s official history states that the colours were inspired by the coat of arms of Admiral Roger de Llúria, a medieval commander of the Crown of Aragon. This version, first published by club historian Juan Segura Palomares in 1974, holds that member Eduard Corrons designed the 1910 crest based on those colours. However, some historians have questioned this account, noting that no documentation verifies that Roger de Llúria actually bore a blue and white coat of arms. An alternative theory suggests the colours may derive from the Bourbon royal house, though this claim lacks solid historiographical support.[2]
The crown above the crest directly references the “Real” (Royal) designation granted by Alfonso XIII in 1912, when the club officially adopted the royal title and added the crown emblem to its badge.[5]
Typography and Design
In May 2026, RCD Espanyol presented a new visual identity described as a graphic and creative evolution inspired by the club’s essence and its history of more than 125 years. A central element of this new stage is the creation of a unique typeface, developed from two cornerstones: Barcelona and the club’s history. The typography draws on graphic references linked to Catalan Modernism and visual elements connected to the city. The launch was accompanied by the slogan “REBELS D’ARREL” (Rooted Rebels), which has since appeared on club merchandise and kit details.[6]
In the 2026/27 season, the club’s kits have featured new interpretations of the crest, including monochromatic versions. The second kit of the 2025/26 season marked the first time the club used the crest in a single colour on an official shirt.[7]
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