Loris Karius wants storybook career ending after Liverpool Champions League nightmare and Carabao Cup final loss

WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON — Like many of us watching, Loris Karius didn’t at first realise what Nick Pope’s red card against Liverpool would mean.

The Newcastle United No.1’s senseless handball in the league defeat at St James’ Park meant he would be suspended for the Carabao Cup final on February 26. That much was obvious.

Then, it dawned that Newcastle’s problem was even bigger: back-up keeper, Martin Dubravka, would be cup-tied for the game due to having played for opponents Manchester United earlier in the competition.

It was at this point that the phone messages began.

“I was watching the game,” Karius explained. “I didn’t realise maybe in the first moment that he was cup-tied. For example, in Germany, it’s different. Then, obviously, my phone went off quite a bit.”

A wild sub-plot to the story of Newcastle’s quest for a first major trophy since 1955 began. Karius, signed as a third-choice squad option for the 2022/23 season, would be starting Newcastle’s first final at Wembley Stadium for 24 years.

He had not played a senior match since a 1-1 Bundesliga draw between Union Berlin and Hoffenheim on February 28, 2021, nearly two years ago to the day. He had not played in a final since May 26, 2018 — the day his career took a nosedive.

Champions League final 2018: The start of Karius’ nightmare
Karius’ 33rd and final appearance for Liverpool in 2017/18 has been well documented.

Then 24, the German gifted Real Madrid the lead in the Champions League final in Kyiv when his attempted throw-out was blocked into the net by Karim Benzema. After Sadio Mane had equalised for Liverpool, Gareth Bale won the game for Madrid via a spectacular bicycle kick — Karius had no chance with that one — and a speculative long-range shot that the Reds keeper juggled into his own net, the ball like a bar of soap in his despairing grasp.

A tearful Karius apologised to fans after the match. Although manager Jurgen Klopp pointed to a concussion the keeper suffered in the first half as being the cause of his calamitous performance, he promptly broke the world record to sign goalkeeper Alisson from Roma that summer, effectively ending Karius’ Anfield career.

A loan spell followed at Besiktas, where things ended in acrimony after Karius was forced to take legal action to reclaim unpaid wages. He then spent two years back in Germany with Union Berlin, where he played just five games. By the time he took up his position between the posts in front of the masses of black and white flags at Wembley, most English football fans hadn’t seen him play for five years.

“Obviously, [the last couple of years have been] not easy,” he said. “A lot of setbacks. I just tried to keep on working and put the work in that people don’t really see, so when an opportunity like this comes, you’re ready.

“Football’s not always easy. It’s really fun when you’re at the top, but it’s not so fun when you’re at the bottom. I experienced both in my career. I learned from everything. I’m still hungry, I’ve got a lot of years left to play, and I think I showed today that I don’t need to hide or anything, that I can still perform at this level.”