Former Inter defender Fabio Cannavaro said ex-coach Frank de Boer deserved more time to turn the club's fortunes around, insisting the Dutchman should not be blamed for their woes.

De Boer was sacked by Inter on November 1, just 85 days into a three-year deal after losing seven of his opening 14 matches.

He was replaced by former Lazio boss Stefano Pioli, who will take charge of Sunday's Milan derby at San Siro.

But Cannavaro - now coaching in China with Tianjin Quanjian - leapt to the defence of De Boer, placing Inter's struggles on the board.

"Frank de Boer definitely showed in the Netherlands that he's a good coach," Cannavaro said via Sky.

"It's not his fault. The fault lies with those who chose him and are still there working. It's a bit of a culture in football, and it's wrong.

"A coach needs time to get to know the players, the environment, the fans and the culture of the club. You can't solve everything in one or two months."

Inter are ninth in the standings, eight points adrift of city rivals AC Milan.