Why does Pisa play with a cross in the middle of the jersey?

It is an important year for Pisa not only for the position occupied in the standings, which sees the Tuscan company at the head of the League B, but also for the shirts produced by adidas. The German brand has been a partner of the current leader for five years, and this year it has designed special jerseys capable of ranging between innovation and tradition but with a minimum common denominator: the Pisa cross. An element that was not present in the Pisa jersey in all three kits produced since 2016/17 when Kappa sponsored Pisa, an extremely important symbol dating back to 1017 and enclosed in a shape reminiscent of the Scudetto. The Pisan cross is the symbol of the city, according to legend it was donated by Pope Benedict VIII when the Pisans moved towards Sardinia to free it from the Saracens. And in a year in which adidas has returned to the thin stripes inspired by the old shirts worn in the '50s and '60s by the Tuscans could not certainly miss another historical reference so important. 

A symbol that has run into some political issues in the past seasons, the Pisan fans during the 2019/20 season were banned from displaying such banners at the stadium. The same fate befell the Lion of St. Mark, which together with the Pisan cross are the symbols of the two glorious maritime republics, which was forbidden to be displayed at the stadium for some time. The issue was quickly resolved, since the display of these banners has no political significance but, on the contrary, emphasises the bond between the city and its fans, which has finally returned to the Pisans' jersey thanks to adidas.