The 2008-09 Coppa Italia is the 61st edition of the tournament. The competition started on August 9, 2008 and will end on May 13, 2009. The radically different format used in the 2007-08 Coppa was abandoned, with the new format more closely resembling earlier editions of the tournament.

In the previous year, the number of teams participating was reduced to only 42: the teams in Serie A and Serie B. For 2008-09, that number was expanded to 78 with the addition of 18 clubs from Lega Pro Prima Divisione (formerly Serie C1), 9 clubs from Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (formerly Serie C2) and 9 clubs from Serie D. Also, except for the semi-finals, all rounds are one-leg fixtures. The one-game final played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which was first adopted in 2007-08, remains.

Format

• First phase: one-leg fixtures
• First round: 18 clubs from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, 9 clubs from Lega Pro Seconda Divisione and 9 clubs from Serie D are paired
• Second round: All 22 clubs from Serie B are added to the 18 first round winners
• Third round: Clubs 9-20 from Serie A are added to the 20 second round winners
• Fourth round: 16 third round winners are paired
• Second phase: one-leg fixtures (except semifinals)
• Round of 16: Teams 1-8 from Serie A are paired with the 8 fourth round winners
• Quarterfinals
• Semifinals: two-leg fixtures
• Final: one-leg fixture at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome

Throughout the tournament, home stadium advantage is given to the projected higher seed (i.e., assuming no upsets). In the two-leg semifinals, the projected higher seed plays the second leg at home.

Teams Entered

	2007–08 League
	Serie A
	Serie B
	Serie C1
	Serie C2
	Serie D

Round of 16
Inter	Roma	Juventus	Fiorentina
Milan	Sampdoria	Udinese	Napoli
Third round
Atalanta	Genoa	Palermo	Lazio
Siena	Cagliari	Torino	Reggina
Catania	Chievo	Bologna	Lecce
Second round
Empoli	Parma	Livorno	AlbinoLeffe
Brescia	Pisa	Rimini	Ascoli
Mantova	Frosinone	Bari	Triestina
Grosseto	Piacenza	Modena	Vicenza
Treviso	Avellino	Sassuolo	Salernitana
Cittadella	Ancona
First round
Ravenna	Cesena	Cremonese	Foligno
Crotone	Taranto	Foggia	Perugia
Padova	Pescara	Legnano	Arezzo
Monza	Novara	Gallipoli	Cavese
Sorrento	Pro Sesto	Pergocrema	Reggiana
Benevento	Bassano Virtus	Portogruaro	Real Marcianise
Lumezzane	Mezzocorona	Celano	Biellese
Tritium	Chioggia	Renato Curi	Castelsardo
Barletta	Sibilla Flegrea	Castellarano	Pontedera

Due to financial problems and other sanctions, the list of 78 teams was filled as follows:

• Serie A - all 20 teams
• Serie B - only 20 teams entered
• Messina, which finished 14th in 2007-08, and La Spezia, which finished 21st, were left off due to financial difficulities
• Lega Pro Prima Divisione - number of teams participating increased from 18 to 20
• top 10 teams from Girone C1/A and Girone C1/B based on 2007-08 standings selected to enter
• Lucchese, which finished 8th in Girone C1/B was omitted
• Pro Sesto, which finished 11th in Girone C1/A with 43 points was selected. The 11th-placed team in C1/B had 40 points
• Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - 9 teams selected
• all three division champions from Girone C2/A, C2/B and C2/C
• both playoff finalists from each of the three divisions, a total of six teams
• Serie D - 9 teams selected
• all second-placed teams from each of the nine divisions, except for Girone D and Girone E where the third-placed teams were selected
• both Montichiari which finished second in Girone D, and Colligiana which finished second in Girone E, were admitted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione

Bracket

Finals

Elimination rounds

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Section 8

¹ The match was played and Cremonese won by a score of 1–0, but were later disqualified for using a player who should have been under suspension. Reggiana was awarded a 3–0 victory as a result.