Loris Karius Reflects On impact Of His Mistakes In Liverpool's Champions League Final Defeat To Real Madrid

Karius made 49 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions during his time at Anfield

Joseph Agbobli | 3 Hours Ago

Liverpool's Loris Karius looks on dejected during the Champions League Final match at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium / IMAGO / Newscom World

Loris Karius has opened up on the impact of his mistakes in Liverpool's 2018 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kyiv at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium. Karius disclosed that he has found it difficult to recover from his second-half errors.

The 31-year-old was in tears after making high-profile mistakes in the final as Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale capitalised on them to ensure Real Madrid ran out 3-1 winners and effectively ended his Anfield career. After the game, it was revealed that he had suffered a concussion following an off-ball clash with defender Sergio Ramos.

However, Loris Karius was subject to months of horrific messages and death threats. The German never featured competitively for the Reds and, after leaving Newcastle United in the summer, he is currently a free agent.

Speaking to Sport Bible, the 31-year-old claimed that he felt he was unable to gain any new managers' trust in training no matter how much work he did.

He said: "It has been difficult to shake off. Even at other clubs when I was trying to gain a manager's trust or get game time when I felt like, in my opinion, I deserved it… there have definitely been moments where I've thought that was my disadvantage.

Loris Karius looks on dejected during the Champions League Final match at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev

IMAGO / Newscom World

"It might not even be the manager's fault but if you know you have a player that is going to draw so much attention then it's going to add pressure. They've probably thought, 'I'll take the easy and safe way rather than go the other route'.

"You can understand in some ways but it's frustrating when there isn't much else you can do to change their mind."

Following the incident that happened in Kyiv, Liverpool ended up signing Alisson Becker two months later. Karius would have been Alisson's back-up but he decided to spend two seasons on loan in Turkey with Besiktas before returning to Germany for a loan spell with Union Berlin before eventually leaving Merseyside at the end of his contract in June 2022.

"My confidence was knocked in the days after and in pre-season, for sure," said Karius. Everything I did was getting looked at. It was so extreme. It all got a bit too much.

"I was trying not to pay any interest but you couldn't get away from it all. You still notice. People are telling you. I was getting confronted all the time. And that's why I wanted a fresh start rather than staying at Liverpool, where I could have been behind Alisson, and still getting game time.

"Maybe in the end that would have been the better step but it's difficult to say at that stage."

Loris Karius made 49 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions during his time at Anfield.

Recommended