From 1979 to 1981, US Palermo entered a creative and distinctive partnership with Pouchain, the Italian sportswear brand that brought modern visual identity to the football field. Known for their bold shirt designs with AS Roma and SS Lazio, Pouchain extended their design philosophy to the Sicilian club with remarkable results.
Over the course of two seasons, the collaboration produced three visually unique shirts, all centered around Palermo’s pink and black tradition—yet reinterpreted with minimalist graphics and branding. It was a short but significant era that marked a turning point in how the club presented itself on and off the pitch.
Three shirts, three design approaches
◾ The pink shirt
- Clean, vibrant rosanero tone—the traditional pink of Palermo.
- Displayed a new, stylized eagle crest, designed by Piero Gratton, a graphic icon in Italian sport.
- Uniquely, the shirt featured the Pouchain P on the chest.
◾ The first white shirt with horizontal stripes
- Bright white base with bold horizontal pink and black bands across the chest.
- Geometric balance and high contrast gave the shirt a striking modernist look.
- Both the eagle crest and Pouchain P branding appeared on the chest.
◾ The second white variant
- A second design using horizontal striping in pink and black, with a different stripe thickness and placement.
- Maintained the same design philosophy: simplicity, clarity, and identity-first layout.
- Only the Pouchain P branding on the chest.
A new crest for a new identity
As part of the rebrand, Palermo debuted a new club crest: a stylized black eagle with a pink collar, looking to its right, enclosed in a green diamond —a design language pioneered by Piero Gratton, the man behind Roma’s Lupetto and Bari’s Galletto. The crest quicly won the hearts of the fans.
The new emblem marked a break from Palermo’s historic, ornate badge and positioned the club as part of the visual revolution that swept through Italian football at the end of the 1970s.
Two seasons of graphic innovation (1979–1981)
The partnership lasted for two full seasons, with Palermo competing in Serie B. During this period, the club projected a sharper, more contemporary image—one that visually aligned with Rome-based clubs embracing graphic design and branding.
By 1981, Pouchain had begun to withdraw from the football scene. Palermo, like several other clubs, returned to more traditional kit suppliers and emblem styles.
Legacy
Despite its brevity, the 1979–1981 Pouchain era is remembered as one of the most visually distinctive periods in Palermo’s history. Collectors today regard the three shirts as design classics—rare examples of how graphic innovation, brand identity, and club tradition can intersect with elegance and boldness.
The Pouchain logo across the chest, once an anomaly, is now seen as a precursor to modern football branding. Palermo’s adoption of minimalist, geometric aesthetics was a sign of a club willing to experiment with its image—and the results still resonate.
