Eagles on football teams' badges
In addition to appearing on company logos, the eagle has also become a team mascot
Sports
April 7th, 2023
April 7th, 2023
In Greek and Latin mythology, the eagle is often identified with the person of Zeus; god of lightning and father of all gods. This is why it is a symbol that has always represented strength, victory and prosperity. And this is why the regal bird has been chosen by several football clubs to dominate their respective championships in all its magnificence, precisely to try to impose and demonstrate all their power on their opponents. From Lazio's Olimpia to Benfica's Vitoria, but not only; in addition to appearing on club logos, the eagle has also become a team mascot with a name loved by all fans.
The eagle of Lazio
In Italy, the most famous eagle is certainly that of Lazio. It was in the early 1910s that Fortunato Ballerini, president of the club and its hiking section, chose the bird as the club's symbol. The origin of this choice is not very clear, but the most common story is that the Biancoceleste patron used to spot eagles during his excursions and he then pointed to the animal as an emblem of power and victory. Since 2010, on the occasion of Lazio's home matches, Olimpia, a specimen of the American golden eagle, flies over the sky of the Olimpico.
The Palermo raptor
The eagle has not been part of Palermo's shield from the beginning, but has always been the coat of arms of the Sicilian city. And it was with this in mind that, in 1932, the club's then president Barresi decided to replace the simple rhombus-shaped logo with that of a golden eagle with an olive branch between its talons. In 2000, the shield, under president D'Antoni, became one of the club's most iconic. Inside a shield with a rosanero background, there is again the golden bird of prey, but with its wings spread out in white. The coat of arms, designed by the graphic studio of the late Ferruccio Barbera, was ranked seventh among the world's top 20 in a Daily Mail article at the time. The current Palermo logo has taken on a much more modern character with a stylised eagle's head with rosanero wings that echo the club's historical colours.
Lecco, Foligno and L'Aquila
In the minor leagues of Italian football, there are also other historic clubs that have the eagle prominently displayed on their badges. Among these is Lecco, with the bird in flight that almost seems to kick the ball under its feet. An obvious reference to the name of the city that of L'Aquila Calcio, even though at the time of its foundation there was a simple ball with the red and blue social colours. In 2018, following the club's failure to register for the Serie D championship, the logo of the new Abruzzi club was entirely designed by the ultras of the Red Blue Eagles and owned by the 'Aps Aquile Rossoblù' association with the intention of freeing it from hypothetical future bankruptcies of the club. This shield features the eagle at the top with a crown, which stands out on the civic coat of arms of the capital of Abruzzo. Similar to that of Lecco, Foligno's logo both for the biancocelesti colours and for the eagle flying with the ball in its talons.
The eagles of Crystal Palace and Manchester City
Bearing the nickname Eagles, eagles, are the players and fans of Crystal Palace. Why? Until the early 1970s, the nickname of the team and its supporters was Glaziers, referring to the glass and iron building that hosted the World's Fair in 1851. During the Second World War, the building was destroyed by Air Force bombing and almost twenty years later the club, which in the meantime had ended up in the third division, decided to give the team a complete makeover to try and return to its former glory. And so an eagle appeared on the crystal palace of the logo to give a sense of power. The bird of prey is first drawn in the style of the Arabian phoenix rising from its ashes, as a metaphor to recall the bombing of the famous palace, then in a more 'aggressive' guise in the current Scudetto. From 1997 to 2015, Manchester City in England also featured an eagle in its logo. The bird, which for a time was also one of the symbols of the English city, is said to represent the Roman origins of the city. At the animal's feet was the motto 'Courage in Battle'.
Benfica's Vitoria eagle
As with almost all clubs that have the eagle in their coat of arms, for Benfica the bird of prey represents authority, strength, nobility, victory and pride. And the Portuguese team, as well as Lazio, has its own bird, named Vitoria, that flies during home matches at the Da Luz stadium. Since its inception in 1904, the Portuguese club has featured an eagle on its badge. The bird is always depicted with open wings ready to take flight, as the team should do during each match.
Nice and the Go Ahead Eagles
The golden eagle also dominates Nice's coat of arms, with its wings embracing the French team's shield. The bird of prey is the imperial symbol of the city that goes back to the alliance linked to the Savoy domination. There is also a team in the Netherlands that is recognisable with the eagle, which also has the animal inherent in its name: the Go Ahead Eagles. In the coat of arms in the shape of a tower with a yellow background, the bird is black resting on a ball.
