Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte said that the difference between the Italian league and other tournaments is forcing Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi to make more efforts to shine and succeed with his club.
Hakimi, 22, who joined Real Madrid before the season began, was criticized for his recent performances after a promising start.
The player has spent the last two seasons on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
"I do not like to talk about a specific player. But watch Hakimi's matches when he arrived at the club. He has great potential but needs to improve the defensive aspect," Conte said.
"Let's not forget the great pressures, ambitions and demands of the fans in the league compared to his German counterpart, he has great capabilities and needs to exert more effort. Pressure here is completely different from what is there," he added.
Inter will be the guest of Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday, and they need to win to maintain a glimmer of hope in qualifying and avoid leaving the Champions League group stage for the second consecutive season.
Inter trail Group B with two points, while Mönchengladbach top the standings with 8 points.