Edgier identity unveiled for European football competition

The UEFA Europa League has united football fans and players for almost fifty years. In preparation for the upcoming season, the league has released a refreshed identity to engage fans and keep up with the dynamic nature of the competition, collaborating with London-based design agency Turquoise to reveal a new and unexpected brand identity.

The iconic logo – a symbol of a trophy that features the name of the league underneath it in a sans serif font – remains unchanged. But, Turquoise has rebranded the league and given it an edgier attitude by updating its colours, typography, graphic symbols and imagery. Marketing director of UEFA events, Guy-Laurent Epstein says, "The refreshed identity is bolder and more daring than before. It will stand out more and help us to engage with fans across multiple touch points."

Turquoise upheld the iconic orange and black colours but expanded the palette by adding lighter and darker shades of orange and refining the rich black shade. In order to convey ‘rawness and attitude,’  the design agency has incorporated Europa Title, a new slab angled serif font, and set it against a black background.

A fundamental addition to the league’s visual expression is a jagged, orange ‘energy wave.’ Inspired by the UEFA Europa League trophy, an angular shape made out of hammered metal, the wave visualises the strong connection between fans and players and the competition’s journey through Europe. The structure and movement of the wave, drawing on the angular shape of the trophy, reflects the thrill of the competition and expresses the “emotional highs and lows experienced both on and off the pitch,” according to Turquoise.

Using the more expressive design for the energy wave, the league can fully take advantage of owning the brand. The wave will be featured across broadcast and digital platforms, and it has already been incorporated in the new official match ball.

According to the design agency, the refreshed brand identity is designed to convey the competition’s lively energy and unpredictable nature. The rebranded identity was designed to cater to different digital platforms, and it will be featured in a wide variety of promotional applications including social media, apps and the website and marketing materials such as posters, uniforms and merchandise.

The new identity is joined by a new UEFA Europa league anthem song composed by MassiveMusic to capture the spirit of match nights. According to UEFA, the song blends a mixture of modern and classical elements to celebrate both tradition and the future.