Inter cause a stir with new logo and identity – a look back at AC Milan’s history as a brand

AC Milan’s city rivals Inter have drawn plenty of attention today by unveiling a new logo, seemingly effective immediately.

The Nerazzurri launched their new logo and brand which is centred around “I M”, of course meant to stand for Inter Milano but playing on the “I am” expression. The new logo sees the I and M intertwine with black and blue circles around, and features no gold.

Here is the official statement explaining the change, from the club’s website: “Inter today presents its new visual identity, which enhances the founding values ​​of the Club and strengthens the link with the city of Milan. The launch of the new logo, which will be used starting from the 2021/22 football season, was celebrated by a narrative that, playing with the initials of the Club name, Internazionale and Milano, focuses on the expression IM, from English ‘I am’.”

A lot of discussion has followed about Milan’s branding and whether – given that Juve and Inter how now gone down a similar path – the Rossoneri could follow by opting for a minimalist-style approach.

In terms of the official name that Milan have gone by, it actually changed quite a lot during the early part of the 20th century in the decades proceeding the club’s founding in 1899.

The organisation was initially called MFBC (Milan Foot-ball Cricket Club) then changed to MFCC (Milan Football Cricket Club) and MFC (Milan Football Club) before becoming Associazione Calcio Milan – or AC Milan as we know them today.

In terms of having an official crest, the early kits often adorned the cross of Saint Ambrose, which features on the coat of arms of the city, but that was more a nod to being the only representatives of the city at that time rather than an official logo.

Milan’s badge as we know it today first came to being in around 1960, with a slightly different version featuring a silver outline and the world ‘MILAN’ rather than ‘ACM’. It changed to a gold outline 10 years later, and then became that with ACM from 1975-79. The time since then has featured small tweaks to the same concept with the exception of the 1980s, when a stylised Devil logo with a star (to signify 10 league titles won) was used.

There are however even more crests that Milan used on things such as official documents, as brand insignia. As seen below, a square-shape logo was used firs the first 16 years before a number of circular iterations followed until 1961, when 13 years of pennant-shaped badges were used feature different stylisations of the Devil. Then things stabilised, aside from the six years beginning in 1980 when a broad ‘M’ was adopted.

The centenary season of 1999-2000 produced something a bit different on the shirt (which would later come in the mid 2010s too as a throwback) as the cross re-appeared.

A sleeve patch also adorned the main home shirt that season and was used as the primary logo of a special edition gold alternate shirt.