- Crest of Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
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The first crest of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. appeared in 1970 and consisted of a ball and a vessel which are powerful symbols of the city of Paris. It was used during the following three seasons. After Paris FC split from Stade Saint-Germain, which kept with the name of Paris Saint-Germain, it was changed to the current and historic crest: the red silhouette of the Eiffel Tower and the white royal cradle of Louis XIV between its legs on a blue background with white edging. It was the first time that the symbols of both cities, Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, were represented on the same crest. According to Robert Vicot, the crest was the ingenious idea of professional designer Mr. Vallot. It inspired Daniel Hechter to design an iconic shirt which became a strong symbol of the club.[1]
Contents
Iconic crest
Coat of arms of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Paris Saint-Germain's first crest appeared in 1970 and had a ball and a vessel which are powerful symbols of the city of Paris. It was used during the following three seasons. In 1973, after Paris FC split from Stade Saint-Germain, which kept with the name of Paris Saint-Germain, it was changed to the current and historic crest: the Eiffel Tower in red and the royal cradle underneath it on a blue background with white edging. It was the first time that the symbols of both cities, Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, were represented on the same crest. According to former coach Robert Vicot, the crest, although claimed by Daniel Hechter, was instead been invented by amateur coach and professional designer Mr. Vallot. It was him who had the ingenious idea of placing the birthplace of Louis XIV between the legs of the Eiffel Tower.[1]
The historic crest represents Paris, in its employment of the Eiffel Tower, and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, through the berceau royale or royal cradle taken from its coat of arms. Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth). This reference to Louis XIV in the club's badge is very important because he increased the power and influence of France over Europe, thus the country achieving political, military and cultural power that contributed to the prestige of France, its population and language. Also the club's crest, reflects the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain, into a new club. This is similar to the way "United" in English football reflects the merger of two or more clubs into a new one (e.g., Newcastle United, Hereford United).[2]
Changes
The new crest would eventually inspire Daniel Hechter to design an iconic shirt which would become a strong symbol of the club. It was composed of a blue shirt with a red central vertical bar framed by white edgings. Hechter maintained the crest but, during the mid-80's, added an image of the Parc des Princes underneath it. Between 1986 and 1988, the crest changed radically as Paris Saint-Germain adopted the logo of the Paris bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics. After the end of the 1987-88 season, the crest with the Parc des Princes underneath it was restored and lasted until 1991, when Canal + bought the club. The French television channel reinstated the historic crest, dropping the image of the Parc des Princes and changing from gold to white the royal cradle. However, the following year, the club's crest was completely changed, dropping the historic design and creating a new one, with the acronym "PSG" and underneath it "Paris Saint-Germain".
This caused the supporters' anger and the historic crest returned to PSG's shirt. Nevertheless, Canal+'s design, persisted and was mainly used for the direction of the club's communication. In 1996, the club returned to the 'historical' crest but it suffered slight changes and was given a more modern touch. The club's name, "Paris Saint-Germain", and date of foundation, "1970", were added above the Eiffel Tower and underneath the royal cradle respectively. Notwithstanding, that same year, the logo was somewhat modified by Opel, the club's major sponsor and partner. Even if this logo was never officially adopted, it appeared in promotional materials. PSG's current crest was unveiled for the first time in 2002. The crest suffered, once again, slight changes in its colours. The current crest consists of a red silhouette of the Eiffel Tower with Louis XIV's royal white cradle underneath it and a dark blue background, which is now a dominant color in the club's shirt.[1]
Special Editions
Between 1986 and 1988, the crest changed radically as Paris Saint-Germain adopted the logo of the Paris bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics.[1] During the 2006-07 season, Paris Saint Germain wore a "chocolate" colour away shirt that intended to represent the fashion and glamour of Paris with monograms à la Louis Vuitton that clearly embody the powerful symbols of the French capital.[3] The crest was also restyled with yellow colours à la retro.[1] In 2010, PSG celebrated its 40th anniversary and the shirt commemorated this fact by presenting a special crest. A golden embroidery encircled the crest with the traditional dates 1970 and 2010.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Historique des Écussons". PSG70. http://psg70.free.fr/accueil.htm. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
- ^ "Paris St-Germain: The Who, What, Where and How?". BigSoccer. 25 March 2005. http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181703. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ "Historique des Maillots". PSG70. http://psg70.free.fr/accueil.htm. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ "Paris Saint-Germain 10/11 Nike kits". PSG.fr. 29 June 2010. http://s.psg.fr/psg/file/201006/Final_10123-PSGnews-400x280.pdf. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
External links
- Official Websites
- (French) (English) PSG.fr
- (French) (English) Paris Saint-Germain at Ligue 1
- (French) (English) Paris Saint-Germain at UEFA
- News Sites
- (French) Paris Saint-Germain News from Le Parisien
- (French) Paris Saint-Germain News from L'Equipe
- (English) Paris Saint-Germain News from Sky Sports
- (English) Paris Saint-Germain News from ESPN
Preceded by
Real ZaragozaUEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winner
1996
Runner up: Rapid ViennaSucceeded by
BarcelonaParis Saint-Germain Football Club History · Players · Managers · Presidents · Supporters · Seasons · Europe · Honours · Ownership & Finances · Crest · Colors · Current Season Key Personnel Owner: Qatar Investment Authority · President: Benoît Rousseau · Manager: Antoine Kombouaré · Director of Football: LeonardoOther Teams Reserves & Academy · PSG Ladies · PSG-RL (defunct)Stadium Training Ground Camp des LogesRivalries Le Classique · History of Le ClassiqueOrganizations Related Articles Website: PSG.fr Categories:- Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
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