Have you ever wondered why there is a rooster on the kits of the France national team? Here is the explanation.
Gallic Roster Stands For A Certain Idea of of France But is no An Official Symbol of the Republic
The cock on France's kit is technically a Gallic rooster, or in French "le coq gaulois,". It's a national symbol of sorts.
France's soccer players have worn jerseys with the bird since 1909, but the tradition is older. The embassy of France in the U.S. notes on its website that people of the 1800s rallied around the rooster because of a pun. In Latin, "gallus" means Gaul, a land area that includes France, and also "gallus," meaning rooster.
Napoleon tried to replace the rooster when he came into power, but by 1899 even coins and metal gates had the rooster on it, according to the official website for the French government. "The rooster became the symbol of a France sprung from peasant origins, proud, opinionated, courageous and prolific," it explains. "While the rooster is not an official symbol of the Republic, it still stands for a certain idea of France. In the collective imagination, particularly in the area of sports, it remains the best illustration of the Nation."
Interestingly, the France national team returned to the classic-inspired Gallic rooster crest just in 2014. The kits previously featured a slightly altered of the federation's crest. The modern crest features a design inspired by the 1958 crest and reflects players’ feedback of wanting to “feel the history of our country”.