The () is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since. History The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of the participation of the teams in the tournament, since its inception in 1921, the Italian championship was divided into two groups. On the one hand the CCI Championship (Italian Football Confederation) and on the other the FIGC championship (Italian Football Federation). These two championships were not organized between them, so they could not manage the dates that allowed the normal course of the tournament. The tournament's first edition held in 1922 was won by F.C. Vado. The second edition, scheduled in the 1926–27 season, was cancelled during the round of 32. The third edition was not held until 1935–36. The events of World War II interrupted the tournament after the 1942–43 season, and it did not resume again until 1958. Since then, it has been played annually or seasonally. Juventus is the competition's most successful club with fourteen wins, followed by Roma with nine. Juventus has contested the most finals with twenty, followed by Roma with seventeen finals. The holder can wear a cockade of Italy (Italian: coccarda), akin to the roundels that appear on military aircraft. The winner automatically qualifies for both the UEFA Europa League group stage and the Supercoppa Italiana the following year. Format The competition is a knockout tournament with pairings for each round made in advance; the draw for the whole competition is made before a ball is kicked. Each tie is played as a single leg, except a two-legged semi-final stage. If a match is drawn, extra time is played. In the event of a draw after 120 Minutes, a penalty shoot-out is contested. As well as being presented with the trophy, the winning team also qualifies for the UEFA Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup). If the winners have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League via the Serie A, or are not entitled to play in UEFA competitions for any reason, the place goes to the next highest placed team in the league table. There are a total of seven rounds in the competition. The competition begins in August with the preliminary round and is contested only by the eight lowest-ranked clubs. Clubs playing in Serie B join in during the first round