Palermo’s club colors pink and black are special in themselves, but its history is even more so – and the atmosphere is always high-percentage
Palermo FC is the pride of Sicily. Tradition is very important on the Mediterranean island, even if the traditional club, which was founded in 1900, has had to go through some dramatic phases in the course of its history.
Financial difficulties, falsified accounts, reorganizations, renaming, (forced) relegation and, last but not least, the takeover by the City Football Group, which also owns Manchester City, in 2022: I Rosanero, the Pink and Blacks, or Aquile, Eagles, as they are also known in Italy, have had to go through a lot
Of course, there have not only been bad times – also because the Sicilian club has already produced players such as Edinson Cavani and Paulo Dybala. Palermo have competed in the European Cup five times, reached the final of the Coppa Italia three times – and Serie A is once again within their grasp, even if they fell just short in the promotion play-offs in 2023/24
The bittersweet quirks of the co-founder
The club stands for ups and downs. Fittingly, its crest somehow does too. And the story behind it is very special. It goes back to the Englishman Joseph Whitaker, who was co-founder and first president of the Sicilians. The club colors pink and black originated from one of his whims: rose liqueur after a victory, herbal bitters after a defeat.
Ornithologist and archaeologist Whitaker was also considered an expert on Tunisia’s bird life, so the eagle from Palermo’s coat of arms naturally fits perfectly into the logo.
Of course, the logo has changed over time and the eagle has now become a modern eagle silhouette that forms the letter “P” for Palermo. But together with the legendary club colors of pink and black, which have often been transformed into fashion-conscious and celebrated jerseys, Palermo has remained unmistakable and, at least in this respect, is committed to continuity.
