Loris Karius’ career is about to take an unexpected turn after eight years since the Real Madrid setback.
Loris Karius went through one of the toughest moments in Champions League history back in 2018 when he had a very difficult game in the final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. But now, eight years later, he looks like he might be back among Europe’s top teams after Bayern Munich showed strong interest in him.
In 2018, Karius was the goalkeeper for Liverpool on one of the biggest nights of his career, facing Real Madrid in the final in Kiev, Ukraine. Unfortunately, it turned into a nightmare for him. He made two big mistakes in the second half, and Liverpool lost 3-1 as Real won the title again. First, he accidentally gave the ball away to Karim Benzema, who scored the opening goal.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane quickly equalised, but then Gareth Bale came on and scored an amazing overhead kick—one of the best goals ever seen in the Champions League. Karius couldn’t do much about that goal, but he was to blame for the third goal, as he let a tricky shot from Bale slip into the net.
Karius was heartbroken after the game, apologizing to Liverpool fans with tears in his eyes. Later, scans showed that a concussion he suffered earlier in the match might have affected his performance. Doctors found signs he had trouble with his vision and spatial awareness. Liverpool’s manager, Klopp, said a few months later that the concussion fully explained what happened and wasn’t an excuse.
Despite the support, Liverpool signed world-class goalkeeper Alisson Becker, and Karius was loaned out to teams in Turkey and Germany. He went through a tough time, especially after receiving online threats that even got the police involved.
In a 2024 interview, Karius said it’s been hard to move past that night. “Even at other clubs, when I was trying to get my chance, I felt like people were still remembering what happened. It made things harder,” he shared. He explained that sometimes managers would choose other players just to avoid the extra pressure, which was frustrating for him. His confidence took a hit, and the attention became overwhelming. He wanted a fresh start instead of staying at Liverpool behind Alisson, even though staying might have helped in the long run.
Karius’s contract with Liverpool ended in June 2022, and he never played for them again after that final. He did return to England, signing a short contract with Newcastle, where he made only two appearances. One of those was in the Carabao Cup final, where he performed well despite the team losing 2-0. He earned a contract extension but later became a free agent again.
His career really started to turn around when he went back to Germany. In January 2025, Karius joined Schalke, then playing in the second division. He began as a backup but soon became the first-choice keeper. He helped Schalke win promotion back to the Bundesliga and earned two contract extensions. Now 33, he’s played 10 games this season, including eight in the Bundesliga.
Schalke is struggling near the bottom of the table, but Karius has impressed so much that Bayern Munich wants to sign him. Bayern’s captain, Manuel Neuer, was injured recently and is expected to retire at the season’s end. Bayern is looking for a new goalkeeper, and Karius fits the profile perfectly. Germany and Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno is also linked with the club, but Karius’s form may have set him apart.
One game in particular caught Bayern’s attention—a match in September where Karius kept a clean sheet against Bayern in a 0-0 draw, making five great saves and stopping Harry Kane, who won the Ballon d’Or, from scoring. That performance ended Bayern’s 59-game scoring streak and helped Schalke earn their first Bundesliga point in over three years.
Those amazing saves might now lead Karius to a transfer to one of Germany’s biggest clubs—almost eight years after his toughest night on the big stage.