Joao Mario has said that one of the main reasons for Frank De Boer's failure at Inter Milan was the language barrier.
De Boer, who arrived on the eve of the season, was sacked by Inter less than three months later and lost seven of his 14 games in charge of the Italian club.
"I think our difficulties are normal because we changed coach just before the season started," he told Tuttosport. "It's useless, however, to continue to look to the past.
"It's hard to say what was wrong under De Boer, because in football, whenever things go wrong, it's the coach that pays the price.
"Now that we have an Italian coach I have realised that one of the difficulties in the previous regime was the language barrier.
"In fact, maybe it was the main problem. De Boer had good ideas, but he failed to transmit them to the team as Pioli does today."
Joao Mario added that De Boer's replacement Stefano Pioli already has an advantage due to his knowledge of Serie A and Italian football.
"It's easy to say the first thing is the language, but it is not just a minor detail," he said. "Moreover, Pioli knows Serie A very well and has better understanding of the direction he is going in, the things that are improving game by game.
"If Inter have spent so much on me it is because they believe in my abilities. I try not to think about my transfer value, I want to help the club to achieve results.
"I have to repay the trust that the club has shown in me and investment made with my performances on the pitch."