The best cross jerseys

Football shirt patterns have made the outfits of some clubs iconic and famous. These include the Crux pattern, which features a cross in the centre of the jersey. It has been used frequently in Italy over the years, on many occasions even as a symbol to celebrate a particular anniversary. But the team that made this pattern famous is certainly Parma, so much so that their players are also nicknamed Crociati. Between clubs and national teams, however, there is no shortage of jerseys with this emblem around the world.

Parma, the 'Crociati' par excellence

In Italy, as already mentioned, Parma is the team par excellence that wears the jersey with the cross symbol. The Emilians, who were founded in 1911 under the name Verdi FBC and shortly afterwards changed it to the name of the city, debuted on the football scene with a yellow and blue checked jersey. The father of what would later remain the iconic Parmesan jersey is credited as Ugo Betti, one of the intellectuals in the group that founded the club.

The yellow and blue squares were thus replaced by a white jersey with a large black cross, which initially also extended across the chest. The reason for this choice was the heraldic tradition of the city, in which the large cross is found on both the crest and the municipal banner.

Genoa and the Cross of St George

in 2019, Genoa will also compete in the new season with a crux jersey, the third jersey designed for the occasion by technical sponsor Kappa. An all-white jersey with a large red cross on the chest, reminiscent of the emblem of St George and the banner of the ancient and powerful Maritime Republic of Genoa.

To tie the jersey even more closely to Genoese tradition, the third crux jersey was adopted as the second by the Grifone youth teams.

Inter and the Centenario Jersey

Similar to the Genoa 2019 jersey is Inter's away jersey from the 2007-2008 season, dedicated to the centenary of the Nerazzurri club. Nike as technical sponsor, the white jersey in the middle features a large red cross in honour of the city of Milan. On the chest is the Scudetto, while the peculiarity concerns the main sponsor, Pirelli, which stands out in this jersey not in the centre but on the top left under the Inter crest.

This jersey also has a special feature. Inter wore it in the Champions League home match against Fenerbahce, which they won 3-0. On that occasion, it was the first time in history that the Nerazzurri took to the pitch at the San Siro wearing the second jersey.

The Viola for the Republic of Fiorentina

However, the colours of Fiorentina's jersey in the 2020-2021 season have been reversed compared to those of Genoa and Inter. The Tuscan club's third jersey, designed by Kappa, is red with a large white cross in the foreground. The choice is a direct reference to the flag of the Florentine Republic, but not only, as the red and white is also part of the history of the club, which played in those very colours until 1929.

Sampdoria seal twinning with Parma

The 2018-2019 season marks the 30th anniversary of the twinning between Sampdoria and Parma and to mark the occasion, the two teams swapped jerseys, with the Ligurians wearing a Crociati jersey and the Emilians a Blucerchiata jersey. The white Joma jersey was then adorned with a blue, red and black striped cross, reminiscent of Samp's classic club colours. Under the team's crest was the solemn inscription: Parma Calcio v Sampdoria, 5 May 2019.

Vasco da Gama and the Templar Cross

In recent years it has become common to let fans choose their own jersey, but some time ago this idea was put into practise by Vasco da Gama. In 2010, the Brazilian club launched a poll with three options to choose from. The winner of the poll was a white jersey with a large red cross, which also featured the Templar Cross, Vasco's symbol. Along with technical sponsor Penalty, fashion company Cavalera, founded by the former Sepultura drummer, also collaborated on the design.

Barcelona and the St George's Cross

This season it is Barcelona who have unveiled a cross jersey. This is the club's third jersey, featuring a cross on a white background in the classic colours of the Blaugrana. The symbol refers to the Cross of Sant Jordi (Saint George), as '2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the award of said cross by the Government of Catalonia to FC Barcelona in recognition of its contributions to the betterment of society and its leading role in promoting sport, as well as its values of sport, civic duty and solidarity'.

The cross also in the national team

The symbol of the cross can also be found on the jerseys of some national teams. On the occasion of the 2020 European Championship, which marks the national team's first historic participation in the event, Nike has designed a jersey for Finland that pays homage to the Scandinavian country's flag. Indeed, the traditional white jersey has been enriched with a cross in different shades of blue, a reference to the Finnish flag.

The second jersey of Portugal 2012-2013 is a nod to the country's naval tradition and features a predominantly white jersey with a large cross on the front. The style of the symbol is based on that of the Order of Christ, which featured on the sails of the Portuguese caravels that set out to discover the New World in the 16th century. The diagonal separation between the green and the red of the cross is also an allusion to Lusitanian symbolism, particularly the armillary sphere, an instrument that also appears in the flag of Portugal.