Research for FourFourTwo magazine
Cagliari Calcio
The colours
Drawn from the Stemma (coat of arms) of Cagliari. The red refers to the
House of Savoy and in particular Victor Emmanuel II, who ruled Sardinia from
1849-1861 before becoming monarch of Italy for 17 years. The blue is drawn from
the sea and the sky, which surround the enormous Castello, the historic centre of Cagliari. Cagliari’s nickname? The
rossoblu. Figure that one out.
The heads
Inside the oval is the Flag of Sardinia. It features four blindfolded
heads, which symbolise the victory of the Sardinian people over the Moors, who
attempted to invade the island. However, when the heads on the flag were turned
from left to right and the blindfolds replaced by headbands in 1999, Cagliari
decided not to amend their logo. Merciless.
The cross
The cross is, in fact, a discoloured St George Cross. Spanish legend
says that St George appeared at the Battle of Alcoraz with four severed heads
of Saracen kings. Calgiari’s badge up to 1970 had a red cross, but the colour
was phased out with a later version only having the vertical stripe red, and on today's badge the cross is gold.
The laurel wreath
Wreaths symbolise different things across cultures. In Rome, it is a martial victory and
wreaths are used to crown a successful commander’s triumph. The wreath that
encircles Cagliari’s badge is a complete one and is unlike ancient wreaths, which have historically been a horseshoe shape.
Cagliari FC literally rest on their laurels.
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