Colour in the Espanyol de Barcelona logo for free

About this drawing

The RCD Espanyol crest traces back to a dorm-room style idea: in 1900 a group of university students in Barcelona wanted a team of their own. Soccer in the city was then dominated by foreign residents, and the students set out to build a club made up of Spanish players. Think of it as the campus team that decided to take on the town.

They called it Sociedad Española de Football, and the current name grew out of that. In 1912 King Alfonso XIII granted a royal title, which is why there's a crown on top and why the letters RCD stand for Real Club Deportivo, or Royal Sports Club. In the 1990s the club officially adopted the Catalan spelling Espanyol, a sign of its deep roots in Catalonia.

For decades, home was a beloved old ground in the Sarria neighborhood. The team later moved to the suburbs, and it now plays between the towns of Cornella and El Prat, close to the Barcelona airport. Supporters are known as the periquitos, or parakeets, a nickname fans wear proudly. It has won several Spanish cups and reached European finals, which is impressive given that its crosstown rival is one of the richest clubs on earth. The Barcelona derby between the two ranks among the oldest rivalries in Spain, and the blue and white stripes are the emblem of the city's other side.

• soccer
• team crests
• spain
• barcelona