Prandelli smiles with fewer foreign stars in Italy

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva having left for Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan started 10 Italian players in Saturday's 3-1 win over Bologna, when newly signed Giampaolo Pazzini scored a hat trick. It was the most home-grown players the club had used in 17 years.

Having been left off Italy's squad for Euro 2012, Pazzini is back for the Azzurri's opening two World Cup qualifiers at Bulgaria on Friday and against Malta in Modena four days later.

Pazzini struggled to find playing time behind Argentina forward Diego Milito at Inter Milan last season but his fortunes have been revived following a crosstown swap with fellow Italy forward Antonio Cassano the week before the season started.

Following Ibrahimovic's departure, Milan needed a striker with the characteristics of Pazzini, who is a solid finisher inside the area and able at headers.

The 28-year-old Pazzini has made 24 appearances for Italy and scored four goals, including one against Slovenia last year that qualified Italy for Euro 2012. Prandelli knows Pazzini well, having coached him at Fiorentina before taking over the national team.

Another Italy forward who had a solid weekend was Sebastian Giovinco, who earned a penalty kick and scored twice in Juventus' 4-1 win at Udinese.

Juventus was hoping to sign a high-scoring forward from abroad but had to settle for a loan deal for Nicklas Bendtner from Arsenal on the final day of the transfer window. But Giovinco, who rejoined from Parma for €11 million ($13.9 million), is so far proving to be Juve's best acquisition.

"We always believed in him, he just lacked some continuity," Prandelli said of Giovinco, who came off the bench in Italy's opening two matches in Poland — following a 15-goal season with Parma. "He had already made a jump in quality."

With UEFA's financial fair play rules coming into effect, Italian clubs are spending much more carefully.