1. FC Köln

Published September 3, 2025

1. FC Köln is one of Germany’s most traditional football clubs. Since its founding in 1948, the club has proudly represented the city in national and international competitions. The club’s identity is deeply rooted in the city and plays a key role as an integral part of Cologne’s cultural heritage and community development.

A core element of the new design by local design company Nochne is the choice of the variable typeface EK Modena, referencing the architectural style of the club’s stadiums. From the old, historic Müngersdorfer Stadion to today’s RheinEnergieStadion, it provides the foundation for shaping 1. FC Köln’s modern communications.

I created a custom version of Modena named Modena 1948, with a few additions to its character set. With 35 font styles, Modena 1948 covers a large portion of the design space of the superfamily.

The use of the typography is inspired by the power and strength of fan banners in the stadium. At the same time, the highly versatile variable typeface offers ideal conditions for communicating not only loudly, but also subtly, across various channels and into office and business contexts.

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