Jurgen Klopp Apologises to Maurizio Sarri over Juventus Comments

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp apologised to Juventus colleague Maurizio Sarri over his recent comments in which he said he thought the Bianconeri should have a 10-point lead in Serie A.

Per Football Italia, the Reds boss spoke to the press ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid and said he never meant to put pressure on Sarri:

"I didn't want to put Maurizio under pressure. I don't play these kinds of mind games.

"Sometimes I don't think before I speak, that happens. I said I don't know why Juve aren't 10 points ahead in the league.

"I saw Lazio against Inter yesterday and that's the reason. These two teams are the reason. Inter are there, firing again, Lazio play a once in a century season, then it will be tight. I didn't want to put any pressure on Maurizio, I respect him absolutely too much and I was happy when I heard his response, saying I'm funny."

BT Sport shared the initial comments from Klopp and Sarri's response. The German had said he was surprised Juventus' massive squad didn't lead to more dominance domestically, while Sarri countered Klopp didn't watch enough Italian football to be informed:

Eight-time defending Italian champions Juventus lead Serie A but only by a single point. Lazio are in second place, and Inter sit just three points behind the leaders.

The two clubs clashed in a high-quality match Sunday that saw Lazio come from behind to grab a 2-1 win:

The Romans have played some of the best football of any European club this season. They have Serie A's best defence and the second-best attacking numbers, behind only Atalanta.

Inter have invested heavily in the transfer market, signing the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Christian Eriksen, Ashley Young, Alexis Sanchez and Nicolo Barella. They also added manager Antonio Conte, who has won titles at Juventus and Chelsea.

The Bianconeri remain the favourites in Italy, and Italian football expert Adam Digby thought there was some truth in the comments from both managers:

Juventus have been far from their best for much of the 2019-20 campaign, and if they had played up to their potential, they probably would have a solid buffer over the rest of Serie A. The quality in the league is far better than it has been in recent years, however, setting up a far more exciting title race.

Klopp was forced into another apology when he tried to joke about his Sarri comments with French reporter Frederic Hermel. The Liverpool boss quickly walked back a quip about his favourite team, Lens, per Get French Football News:

European champions Liverpool and Juventus are both among the favourites for the title. The Premier League leaders face a tricky tie in Spanish giants Atletico, while Juve will take on France's Lyon.