Club History: Sevilla Football Club, based in Seville, Andalusia, holds the distinction of being Spain’s oldest sporting club dedicated solely to football. Founded on January 25, 1890, with Edward Farquharson Johnston, a Scottish-born individual, as its inaugural president, the club’s articles of association were officially registered on October 14, 1905, under the presidency of José Luis Gallegos Arnosa, a native of Jerez. Sevilla boasts a storied rivalry with its cross-city counterpart, Real Betis. Maradona famously concluded his European career with Sevilla, spending a single year with the club. Sevilla is also home to Spain’s oldest group of “ultra” fans, known as the Biris Norte.
Crest: The club’s original crest, designed by Juan Lafita, featured a double-circled design. The outer circle displayed the club’s name and founding date, while the inner circle featured the interlaced letters “SFC” on a white background, a design that continues to be used in the current crest. In 1922, Pablo Rodríguez Blanco crafted the second crest, which divided the shield into three parts forming the silhouette of a heart. The depicted figures are the Christian saints from the city’s coat of arms—Isidore of Seville, Ferdinand III of Castile, and Leander of Seville. The initials “SFC” remain prominent on the right side, as they did from 1905 to 1922. A football from that era appears where the three parts converge. Regarding the red and white stripes, there are various theories, with one suggesting that the club initially desired these colors for the official kit. Another theory suggests inspiration from the flag carried by King Ferdinand III of Castile during the reconquest of Seville in 1248.
