The Udinese logo is one of the longest-running visual identities in Italian football. It belongs to Udinese Calcio, a Serie A club that traces its origins to the Società Udinese di Ginnastica e Scherma, founded on November 30, 1896, in Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. The football section followed in 1911. Its nickname is the Zebrette, or Little Zebras.
The crest has gone through at least six distinct versions since the 1950s. What you see today is a circular gray emblem framed by golden laurel branches, with a white shield and black chevron at its center. The founding year “1896” sits at the top. It’s a look that balances civic pride with football tradition, and its core layout dates to the 1995-96 season.
Within Italian football branding, the Udinese badge sits in a category of crests heavily influenced by municipal heraldry. That black chevron? It comes straight from the coat of arms of the city of Udine. Not every club can say their logo maps back to civic symbolism that predates the sport itself.
What Is the Udinese Logo?
The Udinese logo is a white shield with a black chevron, set inside a gray circle reading “UDINESE CALCIO” and framed by golden laurel branches, with 1896 at the top. No designer has been publicly credited. The layout debuted in 1995-96, and the current refined version dates to 2010-11.
| Symbol | Black chevron on a white shield, from the arms of Udine, with a laurel wreath |
| Designer/agency | Not publicly credited |
| Current version since | 2010-11 season (layout from 1995-96) |
| Colors (hex) | Black #000000, white #FFFFFF, gold approx. #8B7D37, gray approx. #7F7F7F, the last two sampled from a logo reproduction |
| Typeface | Serif capitals on a curve; no font identified |
| Previous major version | 1995-2010 circular badge with laurel |
The club plays at the Bluenergy Stadium, also known as the Stadio Friuli, and competes in Serie A in 2026-27. For its 130th anniversary, it also introduced a commemorative white star crest that sits alongside the standard badge.
How Has the Udinese Logo Evolved Over Time?
The Udinese badge has been redesigned about six times since the mid-20th century. Early versions used striped shields and monograms. Later designs introduced a zebra, then the city’s chevron, before settling into the laurel-framed emblem used today.
Dates vary between crest charts, because several early emblems never appeared on the shirts. It’s actually kind of fascinating how much the identity shifted in a span of about 30 years.
The First White Star (1896)
Years active: The club’s earliest days
Before any crest, the founding society is said to have worn an all-black shirt with a white five-pointed star on the chest. A photo from around that time may show the city arms instead, so the details aren’t fully settled. The star came back in 2026 for the 130th anniversary.
Early Shields and the ACU Monogram (1950s-1970s)
Years active: Roughly the 1950s through the 1970s
The earliest emblems featured a shield filled with black and white vertical stripes, paired with “AC Udinese” text and later an initials monogram for Associazione Calcio Udinese.
These crests never appeared on the match shirts, which makes it tricky to pin down exact dates. But the visual language was clear: bold sans-serif type, narrow letterforms, and the club’s black-and-white stripes filling the shield background.
There was no color beyond black and white. No laurels, no circular framing.
The Zebra Badge (Late 1970s-Early 1980s)
Years active: Late 1970s to around 1980
In the late 1970s, the club adopted a badge with a zebra’s head inside a green circle. This was the first emblem to appear on the actual match shirts, starting in 1979.
The zebra references the club’s nickname, “Le Zebrette,” which comes from their black-and-white striped kits. At the time, the zebra faced left. Decades later, Macron brought it back on the 2023-24 home kit, with the zebra facing right as a nod to looking forward.
This version had personality. A lot of it. It’s the kind of badge fans still feel nostalgic about, and honestly, I get it. There’s a charm to mascot-based crests that geometric designs can’t quite replicate.
The Zanussi-Era Shield (Early 1980s-1995)
Years active: Early 1980s until the mid-1990s
Under President Lamberto Mazza, the logo changed completely. Out went the zebra. In came a white shield with a black chevron pointing upward, the same design used by the city of Udine.
Below the chevron sat the “Z” logo of Zanussi, the appliance company that owned the club at the time. The lowercase inscription “udinese calcio” appeared above in a bold typeface.
Fun detail: during the 1981-82 season, the shirts didn’t even display the full badge. Just a large “Z” on the chest. Corporate branding at its most direct.
After Giampaolo Pozzo acquired the club and Zanussi departed, the “Z” was removed. What remained was just the shield and chevron.
The First Circular Emblem (Dates Disputed)
Years active: Listed as 1992-1995 by one account and as 1977 to the 1980s by the chart above
The city’s coat of arms sat in the center, surrounded by a gray circle. Sources don’t agree on when this was used, and there’s no club record to settle it.
It was a transitional design, but it set the template for the circular layout that the current logo builds on.
The Laurel Wreath Badge (1995-2010)
Years active: 1995 to 2010
This is where the modern identity really took shape. The 1995-96 redesign used a circular format with a chevron shield, and “UDINESE CALCIO” arched along the inner ring. Pennants from 1995 onward add two golden sprigs and the founding year.
The color palette settled on black and white with gold accents. The circle was initially gray, then changed to black during this period.
This badge saw the club through some of its best years: Champions League qualification in 2005 and the Antonio Di Natale era. A lot of good memories sit under this version of the crest.
The Current Udinese Logo (2010-Present)
Years active: 2010-11 season to present
The 2010 update was more of a refinement than a full redesign. The outer circle returned to gray. The laurel branches were redrawn with more detail. The white shield and black chevron remained the centerpiece.
The overall composition stayed the same, with better proportions and cleaner lines.
For 2026-27, the 130th anniversary, the club added a commemorative crest: a large white star with the black-and-white shield set at an angle, the club name, and the years 1896-2026. It appears on the travel collection and accessories, and reports point to the third shirt too. The home shirt carries the standard crest.
What Do the Design Elements of the Udinese Logo Mean?
Every part of the Udinese badge has a root in the city of Udine or the club’s football heritage. The black chevron on white is a direct reference to civic heraldry. The laurel wreath is a classical sign of achievement, and the circular frame adds a sense of unity.
Let’s break these down.
Why Is Udinese Black and White?
The black and white pairing matches the municipal coat of arms of Udine. It goes back to the club’s beginnings, when the founding society wore black shirts with that white star.
According to color theory, black reads as strong and white as clear. Together, they create a high-contrast pairing that works well across different media.
The gold, approx. #8B7D37 in the swatch image above, appears in the laurel wreath. It’s not a flashy gold. More like a muted, olive-toned metallic.
The gray, approx. #7F7F7F in that same image, fills the circular background ring. Other reproductions run lighter, including the lead image in this article at about #AEAEB4. It acts as a neutral buffer between the shield and the laurel.
No club-published codes could be found, so Pantone, RGB, and CMYK values are left out here.
What Font Does the Udinese Logo Use?
The current badge uses uppercase serif lettering for the “UDINESE CALCIO” text that arches along the inside of the circular frame. No source names the font. The letterforms have moderate stroke contrast and classical proportions.
Earlier versions told a different story. The striped shields used bold, condensed sans-serif letters, and the 1980s version featured heavy lowercase type. Each era’s typography reflected its own design trends.
The current type choice leans traditional, and the letter spacing along the curved path stays readable at smaller sizes.
What Does the Udinese Chevron Mean?
The black chevron isn’t just a geometric shape. Gli Eroi del Calcio traces it to the noble Savorgnan family of Udine, and it also appears in the city’s arms. Some readings of it as a mountain or a castle have no support in the sources checked here.
The laurel wreath is a classical Greco-Roman symbol of victory. In a football badge, it reads as a claim to sporting achievement and staying power.
The year “1896” at the top is a statement of seniority. Udinese links itself to one of Italy’s oldest sports societies, and the shirt collar on the 2023-24 kit called the club “Italy’s first bianconeri,” though the football section itself dates to 1911.
How Does the Udinese Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Italian football crests are some of the most design-rich in Europe. The Udinese badge holds its own, though it sits in a different category than the more famous emblems.
Take the Juventus logo, for example. After their 2017 rebrand, Juve went fully modern with a minimalist “J” mark. Clean lines, no shield, no laurels. Completely different approach.
The Napoli logo is also stripped back, built around a bold “N” on a circular blue background. Simple, direct, and instantly recognizable.
Meanwhile, clubs like AS Roma and AC Milan lean into more detailed crests with historical and civic references, which is closer to what Udinese does.
Where Udinese stands out is in that combination of the chevron, laurels, and muted color scheme. Many Serie A badges use vibrant reds, blues, or golds. The Udinese badge leans monochrome, which gives it a distinct look on the pitch and on merchandise.
Compared to fellow northeastern clubs like Hellas Verona, the Udinese logo feels more reserved and structured. Verona’s badge uses a ladder motif and stronger colors, creating a warmer visual feel.
The Atalanta logo, meanwhile, centers on the profile of the mythological huntress Atalanta in a circular layout. Udinese keeps things more heraldic.
What Cultural Impact Has the Udinese Logo Had?
The Udinese badge carries weight beyond the football pitch in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. For locals, it represents regional identity. Udine sits near the Slovenian border, and the club’s kits have leaned into Friulian symbols, such as the Eagle of Friuli on the 2026-27 training shirt.
When Udinese qualified for the Champions League in 2005, the badge reached audiences across Europe. That kind of exposure matters for a smaller-market club. It put the chevron and laurels in front of people who had never thought about Udine as a football destination.
Retro moments have become part of the crest’s story too. The 2023-24 home kit revived the zebra in place of the usual laurel badge, and the 2026 anniversary brought the white star back. Each one treats the club’s old symbols as something worth keeping.
Within Italian football culture, the Udinese crest is known for its understated quality. It doesn’t shout for attention. Among people who pay attention to design principles in sports branding, its appeal is its consistency and its connection to local heritage.
How Does the Udinese Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The badge is the anchor of what’s visual at Udinese Calcio, from match-day graphics at the Bluenergy Stadium to the club’s social media presence.
Kit manufacturer Macron carries the badge on its Udinese shirts. Even the green details on the 2023-24 home shirt were a callback to the green-framed zebra badge.
On social media, the badge works as the profile icon. Its circular format suits the rounded avatar frames that most platforms use. That’s the kind of thing you might not think about, but it matters. A crest that loses its details at a small pixel size struggles at modern branding, though the fine laurel leaves here are a real test.
The Pozzo family’s long ownership has helped keep the visual identity stable. No drastic rebrands, no unnecessary trend-chasing. Just steady refinement over decades.
The badge, the kits, and the digital presence form a connected identity. Everything references back to the same black and white, with the gold and gray of the crest. It’s a brand system that works because it doesn’t try to do too much, though no official brand guidelines have been made public.
How Should the Udinese Logo Be Used?
This is general advice for working with any club crest, not a set of rules published by Udinese.
Club crests are normally protected as trademarks, so commercial use generally needs permission from the club. This applies wherever you downloaded the file.
Do:
- Use a clean, unmodified file, ideally vector formats for scalable reproduction. Avoid a low-quality bitmap copy, and check the DPI of any raster file for print applications
- Keep the badge intact, without separating the shield from the laurels
- Use SVG for web use when you have it, because it stays sharp at any screen resolution
Don’t:
- Alter the colors, stretch the proportions, or add effects like drop shadows or bevels
- Use the badge on backgrounds that reduce its visibility
- Place other logos or text so close that they visually merge with the emblem
Editorial use is usually treated differently from putting a crest on a product, but the rules vary by country. If money is involved, ask for permission first.
FAQ on the Udinese Logo
What does the Udinese Calcio logo look like?
The current badge features a white shield with a black chevron inside a gray circle. Golden laurel branches frame the outside. The arched text “UDINESE CALCIO” runs along the ring, with the year 1896 at the top.
When was the current Udinese logo introduced?
The layout debuted during the 1995-96 Serie A season. A refined version arrived in the 2010-11 season, with the circle back in gray and more detailed laurel work.
Both versions share the same core layout.
What do the colors in the Udinese badge mean?
Black and white match the Udine city coat of arms. They go back to the club’s earliest days.
Gold appears in the laurel wreath, and gray fills the circular background as a neutral tone.
Why is there a chevron on the Udinese crest?
The black chevron is the symbol of Udine, also linked to the noble Savorgnan family. The club adopted it in the early 1980s under President Lamberto Mazza.
Who designed the Udinese logo?
No designer or agency has been publicly credited for any version of the crest.
How many times has the Udinese logo changed?
At least six distinct versions exist. Early designs used striped shields with an initials monogram. Then came the zebra badge in the late 1970s.
The 1980s brought the Zanussi-era shield before the laurel-framed emblem arrived in the mid-1990s.
What is the Zebrette badge?
The Zebrette (Little Zebras) badge showed a zebra’s head inside a green circle. It appeared on Udinese kits starting in 1979. Macron brought it back on the 2023-24 home shirt with the zebra facing right instead of left.
What is the Udinese white star crest?
It’s the commemorative crest for the club’s 130th anniversary. A white star recalls the first shirts, with the black-and-white shield inside, the club name, and the years 1896-2026.
What font does the Udinese logo use?
No source names the font. The current version uses uppercase serif capitals for the “UDINESE CALCIO” inscription.
Earlier versions used condensed sans-serif type, and the 1980s badge featured heavy lowercase letters.
What are the Udinese color codes?
Black is #000000 and white is #FFFFFF. Gold is approx. #8B7D37 and gray approx. #7F7F7F, both sampled from a reproduction of the crest rather than published by the club.
Can I use the Udinese logo for my project?
Club crests are normally protected as trademarks, so commercial use generally requires permission from the club. Editorial or non-commercial use is usually treated differently, but the rules vary by country.
How does the Udinese logo compare to other Serie A crests?
It leans more heraldic than many. Fiorentina uses a fleur-de-lis. Lazio builds around an eagle. Bologna combines the city’s cross with red and blue.
Udinese stands apart with its muted black, white, and gold scheme tied to the city’s symbols.
Conclusion
The Udinese logo tells the story of a club that has spent 130 years building its identity. From the white star and the striped shields to the Zebrette zebra badge and the current chevron-and-laurel emblem, each version reflects a specific chapter in the history of Udinese Calcio and the city it represents.
What makes this crest work is restraint. The black and white palette, the gold accents, the chevron taken from Udine’s coat of arms. Nothing here feels random or trend-driven.
For a club competing in Serie A alongside some of the most recognized brands in European football, that kind of design discipline matters. It keeps the badge relevant across jerseys, digital platforms, and fan merchandise without losing its connection to the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Udinese Calcio – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udinese_Calcio
- Gli Eroi del Calcio, Udinese pennants and the Savorgnan chevron – https://www.glieroidelcalcio.com/?p=48688
- NSS Sports, Where did Udinese’s new logo come from? – https://www.nss-sports.com/en/lifestyle/33789/summary_large_image
- Footy Headlines, Udinese 130th anniversary commemorative logo – https://www.footyheadlines.com/it/6122/svelato-il-logo-commemorativo-del-130-anniversario-dell-udinese.html
- Get Football News Italy, Udinese Calcio unveil commemorative crest for 130th anniversary – https://www.getfootballnewsitaly.com/2026/udinese-calcio-unveil-commemorative-crest-for-130th-anniversary/
- World Soccer Pins, Historical crests of Udinese Calcio – https://worldsoccerpins.com/historical-crests-udinese-calcio
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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