Real Madrid remove cross from emblem to please Muslims

Spanish football giants, Real Madrid, have decided to make changes to the club’s logo, getting rid of the cross, which was present on the emblem for nearly a century. The rebranding was needed in order to strengthen Real’s popularity among Muslim football lovers in Europe and the Middle East.

The Spanish Marca newspaper is citing a source in the club’s administration as saying that the move is aimed at “avoiding all forms of misunderstanding and conflict in the regions where the majority of the population is Muslim”.

The removal of the cross coincides with Real Madrid beginning the construction of a $1 billion sports tourist resort in the United Arab Emirates, which will be the world’s first theme park on an artificial island to combine tourism and sports.

The Christian symbol appeared on Real Madrid’s emblem back in 1920 when King Alfonso XIII granted his royal patronage to the club.