120 years of history were washed away with two bold strokes from a graphic designer as one of the world's biggest football clubs, Juventus, unveiled a controversial and polarising new logo on Tuesday.
A modern stylised "J" will be on the front of Juventus' jerseys as of next season instead of the badge containing black and white stripes, the bull representing the city of Turin or a zebra that have featured as the club's logo in various forms since the 1920s.
It's been dubbed as the transition from a badge to a brand, as the Italian giants unveiled a new crest that bares no resemblance to the club's iconic crest and history.
Juventus president Andrea Agnelli praised the logo at a ceremony in Italy as the club labelled the brazen new image as "our future".
"This new logo is a symbol of the Juventus way of living. To grow, we must continue to triumph on the field and evolve our approach off it to reach new heights."
Agnelli: "This new logo is a symbol of the Juventus way of living." #2beJUVENTUS pic.twitter.com/x5B3fapqGJ— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) January 16, 2017
However, it failed to appease fans and pundits who were quick to slam the new branding and others quick to mock the club's priority of marketing over legacy.
The club has been subtly preparing fans for the transition to a "J" as their brand, introducing a zebra mascot named "J" in 2015 before referring to their home ground as "J Stadium" instead of Stadio Juventus. There is no J in the Italian alphabet - their name derives from the Latin word for 'youth'.
the new logo tells me this is the juventus brand and we are customers, not fans.— nico (@JuventusCrazy) January 16, 2017
#Juventus old logo vs. new one - I know which one I prefer! pic.twitter.com/kS0pPJAhpB— Daniella Matar (@DaniellaMatar) January 16, 2017
Following #Juventus' change of crest, our writers have re-designed their club logos. We're sure you know what teams these are. pic.twitter.com/HKozNa4gT3— ForzaItalianFootball (@SerieAFFC) January 16, 2017
