Real Madrid to remove cross from its logo to please Muslim fans

Madrid - Real Madrid, the Spanish football giants are making changes to the club's logo in order to strengthen their popularity among Muslim football lovers.

The logo has been their emblem for nearly a century, but now Real Madrid will be removing the small cross from the very top of the crown. The Marca newspaper in Spain quoted a source in the football club's administration, who said that this move is aimed at “avoiding all forms of misunderstanding and conflict in the regions where the majority of the population is Muslim”. For those unfamiliar with the soccer world, or football as it is called in Europe, Real Madrid can be placed on a par with other globally recognized professional sports franchises - for instance the New York Yankees or the Dallas Cowboys. Their annual reviews are over $500,000 and the team has an estimated net worth of almost $2 billion. The change to the logo coincides with the start of construction on a $1 billion sports tourist resort in the UAE by Real Madrid. This will be the world's first theme park located on an artificial island. The park will combine both sports and tourism. It seems appropriate that the Christian cross should thus be removed from the logo. The emblem has its roots back in 1920 when King Alfonso XIII granted royal patronage to the Real Madrid club. However, the crown which is incorporated in the logo, apparently disappeared from the uniforms between 1931 and 1941 - after the Spanish Civil War ended, the crown was returned and has been on the team's logo for 71 years. Real Madrid is following in the footsteps of their rivals in Barcelona, who also recently had to take the cross from their logo to please sponsors in Qatar.