Lithuania have unveiled a modern, stripped-back and digitally friendly crest focused on Vytis, the country’s national icon.
The image of a charging armour-clad knight on horseback known as Vytis, has been a symbol of Lithuania since 1366 and features on the nation’s coat of arms.
With his sword and shield in hand since medieval times, Vytis isn’t so much an individual, rather a legend and a symbol that’s been used on everything from bank notes to football shirts over the centuries.
The Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), along with the UEFA Grow programme and the British creative agency Frame, updated the national team’s crest ahead of the last round of international fixtures, presenting a modern image to the football world.
UEFA Grow is a business development support programme aimed at promoting participation in the game across Europe, whilst helping smaller nations develop their image and revenue opportunities.
The renewal of Lithuania’s Vytis symbol follows the successful launch of Iceland’s new badge which turned old Norse legend and mythology into a sleak, modern crest to be proud of.
To our eyes, there’s something a little “Ajax” about the collection of lines representing a warrior, whilst the combination of black on yellow really makes the new emblem stand out from the crowd.
The creators claim that in order to simplify the design, the hind legs of the horse were clipped, focusing on the victorious pose of the knight.
The new logo is a modern interpretation of a historical symbol for the social media age, whilst the badge’s angled lines reflect popular elements of Lithuanian design.
Milda Liužinaitė, of the Lithuanian women’s team said, “This symbol and the shirt of the Lithuanian national team is an honor and at the same time a great responsibility. We represent not only our club, coaches or relatives, we represent Lithuania. We each want to show our best and properly defend the honor of Lithuania, not only for ourselves, but also for everyone who cares about football.”
“I think the new logo looks great. It is a symbol that symbolises courage, determination and fighting, and I think that these traits are very important in football,” said Lithuania keeper Džiugas Bartkus.
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