Conte bets on "chameleon" Italy to do well

Coaching the weakest Italy side in recent memory, coach Antonio Conte hopes his side's "chameleon-like" ability to vary formations and interchange players will be enough to defy their doubters by going far in the European Championship.

The first test of his focus on flexibility will come on Monday, when Italy faces the world's second ranked team in Belgium.

"We don't stay rooted in one formation," Conte said on Sunday. "We play in different systems both when attacking and defending, so we have got this chameleon-like formation because we have all these tactical formations in mind."

Conte, who will take over Chelsea next season, is well known for his discipline and focus on tactics.

A finalist in 2012, this depleted Italy squad is considered to be one of the most uninspiring ever fielded by the four-time World Cup winners.

Longtime midfielder maestro Andrea Pirlo was dropped by Conte, and injuries made Marco Verrati and Claudio Marchisio unavailable.

Equally as important, no replacement has yet to emerge to replace Mario Balotelli or Luca Toni, with a group of ho-hum forwards taking turns up front.

So Conte counts on turning Italy's weakness of not having any defined outfield stars into a strength by keeping Belgium and other Group E opponents, Sweden and Ireland, guessing.