Italy's good results in football does not mean it is back on top but coach Cesare Prandelli was doing a great job, football stalwart Antonio Cabrini said this morning.

Mr Cabrini addressed a news conference this morning after taking part in yesterday's SportMalta Awards, where he was guest of honour.

A former Italy and Juventus player who played in the 1982 World Club and has a host of honours at club level, Mr Cabrini said that following Italy's negative result in the 2010 World Cup, when the country hit rock bottom, it was important to restore confidence and a sense of belonging to the Italian shirt for the players.

Prandelli was the right person for this.

"He has given important answers both to fans and the federation, he has rebuild the squad and Italy did really well in the Euro 2012 qualifiers."

But the very good results did not mean that Italy was back on top, there was still a lot of work to do. However, he expressed confidence in the national coach.

Mr Cabrini said that one of biggest problems facing Italian football was that youngsters were not being given enough opportunities by the clubs.

Foreign players not of the required standards or even inferior to Italian youngsters were doing the Italian game any good and that was one of the biggest obstacles the Italian coach was facing in his work with his national team.

On his former club Juventus, Mr Cabrini said major changes were made this season. He believed the club made the right signings, especially with Andrea Pirlo, who he said was fundamental to Juventus.

"Coach Antonio Conte is doing a great job, he never gives up, he put a lot of effort and hard work and he is applying the methodology he encountered as a player now that he is in charge of Juventus," he said.

Mr Cabrini praised the hospitality he received during his stay in Malta and the organisation of the SportMalta awards, saying he could see the efforts that were being made for the promotion of sports in Malta.