Antonio Conte assured Italy “will always play positive and attacking football” at Euro 2016 and relies on his “credibility” as a Coach.
The Azzurri tactician spoke to UEFA.com ahead of Monday’s tournament opener with Belgium.
“I think Italy have been on a growth process and I say that for the qualifiers too, when we started behind Croatia and went on to win the group.
Antonio Conte assured Italy “will always play positive and attacking football” at Euro 2016 and relies on his “credibility” as a Coach.
The Azzurri tactician spoke to UEFA.com ahead of Monday’s tournament opener with Belgium.
“I think Italy have been on a growth process and I say that for the qualifiers too, when we started behind Croatia and went on to win the group.
“Looking at the two games with Croatia, we struggled a great deal to draw the first meeting at home, but then drew away and deserved to win that match. You can see there was a steady improvement and we hope that journey can continue during the Euros.”
Conte has been hit hard by the loss of Marco Verratti, Claudio Marchisio and Riccardo Montolivo to injury in the Azzurri midfield.
“Our intention is to play positive football and that doesn’t change despite the injuries, even if Verratti and Marchisio are very important players with a lot of international experience.
“We will try to cover these absences with a huge, almost obsessive, effort to work as a team. It is certainly an advantage that we can count on three or four Juventus players who have been working together as a defensive unit for a long time.
“They help provide a solid foundation to build on. As I said, I always want to play positive and attacking football, but what counts the most is having balance all over the pitch.”
Belgium are the first opponents on June 13, considered one of the favourites for the tournament itself.
“It is certainly a great challenge. We already faced them in a friendly and I have to say we played well, even if we lost 3-1. It will be tough, but perhaps it is better to start the tournament against such a strong team, so we have to be on it straight away.”
Can Italy’s history have a psychological effect on Group E opponents Sweden and the Republic of Ireland?
“History can have both positive and negative effects. It’s great to read about the past, but history is made in the present. We mustn’t look too far into titles won before. We must be realistic and think of what we are building right now, not what we did many years ago.”
How does Conte get such passion and commitment from his players, both at club and international level?
“I think it has to do with the credibility you have, especially when talking about a Coach, on a human and football level. It is important to be credible when talking to the players and making certain decisions.
“The work we do in training reflects on the games and that is truly important, as it gives you credibility, especially when they use that advice in a match situation. These players are extraordinary, because they truly give everything and believe firmly in what we are doing.”
Finally, Conte was asked about his favoured 3-5-2 formation.
“This team has worked and is working on many systems. Obviously it’s not always easy to jump from one system to another, but this team is like a sponge: it absorbs so much.
“We are working a great deal on tactical flexibility to ensure we can change even during the course of a game.”