The scudetto (Italian for "little shield") is a badge featuring Italy's green, white, and red flag colors, worn by the defending champions of Italian sports leagues. Invented by the poet and playwright Gabriele D'Annunzio, who proposed it in 1920 for a team in Fiume, it was officially adopted by the Italian Football Federation in 1924, with Genoa becoming the first club to wear it. The badge quickly expanded beyond football, as the rugby union championship adopted it in 1928, and it has since become the universal symbol of title-holding teams across all Italian sports. Today, "winning the scudetto" is synonymous with winning Serie A itself, though between 1936 and 1943, the tricolour version was awarded to Coppa Italia winners while Serie A champions wore a Savoyard shield. This tradition has inspired other nations like Portugal and Turkey, where reigning champions also display a national symbol on their chests.