Loris Karius ‘considering retirement’ as he opens up on major Liverpool errors

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius says he was “considering retirement” after failing to find a club this season.

His old team will face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, a match that will be a delight for most football fans. But you can probably count Karius among that contingent.

The German goalkeeper joined Liverpool in 2016, but had a tough time after several mistakes. It was the 2018 Champions League final, against Madrid in Kiev, where the shot-stopper was responsible for two shocking errors that ultimately cost Jurgen Klopp's side the biggest prize of all.

His infamous blunders scored goals for Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, who made no mistake and condemned the Reds to a 3-1 defeat. The infamous night was not only a hard pill to swallow for everyone associated with Liverpool, but also marked the end of Karius' career at the club.

Now a free agent following his departure from Newcastle, Karius has spoken candidly about the long-lasting impact of that fateful night. In an interview with SPORTbible, the 31-year-old said: “It was hard to shake.

“Even at other clubs, when I've tried to gain a manager's trust or get playing time when I felt like I deserved it, there have definitely been times when I thought that was my disadvantage.

“It may not even be the manager's fault, but when you know you have a player who will attract so much attention, it will increase the pressure. They probably thought: 'I'll take the easy and safe way instead of go the other route'. In some ways you can understand it, but it's frustrating when you can't do much else to change their mind.'

Liverpool opted for a stick change after Karius' mistakes. Alisson joined the club two months after the ill-fated final and opting not to act as the Brazilian's back-up, Karius spent two seasons on loan in Turkey with Besiktas before returning to Germany for a loan spell at Union Berlin. He left Merseyside for good at the end of his contract in June 2022.

“My confidence took a hit in the days afterwards and certainly in the preparation,” said Karius, who has acted as Newcastle's third-choice keeper for the past two seasons. “Everything I did was watched. It was so extreme. It all became a bit too much.

“But the experience has made me stronger as a person. It's part of my story. It's part of my history. At the end of the day I was a Liverpool player. I reached the final of the Champions League. It didn't work out how I wanted only less than one percent of professional football players to play in a Champions League final. That is undeniable.”

Liverpool made up for their Champions League upset in 2018 by winning the trophy for the sixth time in Madrid against Tottenham in 2019. However, Karius isn't sure how his personal redemption arc will play out.

“I was hoping to get a good opportunity this summer where I would get a chance to play again,” Karius added. “I could get that somewhere else, but I still have expectations of what level I want to play at. I have to be honest with myself and not go somewhere where I might not feel comfortable.

“For example, I chose not to go to Saudi Arabia. Being so far away from my family would have been difficult. I talked to teams but in the end it didn't work out. There were advanced talks with a team in Italy , but that didn't happen, which was sad at the time.

“If you've been out for as long as I have, then you obviously have to think about retirement. I haven't made a decision yet because that's not necessary. I'm still fit. I still have all the potential and capabilities. ” .”

After Liverpool's crushing defeat in 2018, Carlo Ancelotti broke Anfield hearts again after a Thibaut Courtois masterclass saw Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.

The Reds are now finally trying to shake off the ghost of their Spanish opponents after failing to beat them in their last eight attempts, but Karius is one former player who has not been drawn into the drama.

“I didn't know Liverpool were playing Real Madrid this week,” he said. “At the beginning of the season I decided not to watch any games. I wanted to clear my head.”