Design studio Bureau Borsche created the Italian football clubs’ new visual identity to ‘establish itself as an icon of culture as well as sport’.

Football Club Internazionale Milano, which is widely known as Inter Milan, revealed a simplified crest containing an update to the original logo designed in 1908 by founding member Giorgio Muggiani – who was also a graphic designer, painter, caricaturist and, fittingly, a football referee.

The new logo delves back into Inter Milan’s roots, described by the club as “a modern reinterpretation of the club’s historic symbol, in a more streamlined and minimalist guise”. This also makes it much more appropriate for use online and on-screen.

“Inter has moved to revamp its visual identity to open up to an audience that is increasingly digital and sensitive to aesthetics, to reach global targets and different age groups, and establish itself as an icon of culture as well as sport,” said the club.

“The aim is to make the Inter brand relevant and recognisable beyond its fanbase and to allow a younger and international audience to identify with the values of inclusion, style and innovation that have characterised Inter since its foundation.”

The I and M letters have been translated over from the original mark, with the FC dropped completely. The two characters are framed in a circle, and coloured to match the original shades chosen for the club in 1908 – albeit dialled up to a more vivid hue.

According to Inter Milan, the logo is also a play on ‘I am’. “The expression ‘I am’ is used to directly communicate the values and inclination of the club but also serves as a hook to describe the essence of every Inter fan without any distinction,” said the club.

The update is refined, and joins a growing group of businesses re-examining heritage logos and minimalising and flattening them to fit the demands of digital.