Liverpool nightmare revives his career: Klopp in a difficult predicament
Loris Karius is enjoying a fresh start after years of decline. The Schalke goalkeeper has rediscovered his form and finds himself back in the conversation for a Germany call-up, just as Jürgen Klopp takes charge of the national team for the first time.
His revival cannot be separated from the most painful night of his career. Karius made two costly errors in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, handing Liverpool a 3-1 defeat.
He cried after the match and apologised to the fans. Medical examinations days later revealed he had suffered a concussion, and Klopp went on to confirm the injury may have affected his performance.
From collapse to Schalke
Karius's career nosedived after that final, and Alisson's arrival at Liverpool only made things worse. The German drifted through a series of loan spells and trials, none of which gave him the stability he craved.
Schalke handed the 33-year-old a fresh start, and he became one of the standout figures in the side that climbed back into the German league. He kept 13 clean sheets in 30 matches last season, with Schalke conceding just 31 goals to boast the best defence in the second division.
This season has begun in the same vein. Karius saved 14 shots across the opening two rounds, then shut out Bayern Munich in a 0-0 draw. Several decisive stops denied Harry Kane and earned him widespread praise.
Klopp faces a difficult decision
Karius's return coincided with Klopp taking charge of the German national team. Klopp knows the goalkeeper well, having brought him to Liverpool in 2016 and trusted him as first choice. He also lived through the 2018 final and the collapse of Karius's career that followed.
Karius has never played a senior international, yet Oliver Kahn and Roman Weidenfeller believe a call-up has become a realistic prospect. Yuri Mulder, Schalke's sporting director, described his display against Bayern as worthy of the national team.
The road will not be easy. Manuel Neuer has retired, but the likes of Marc-André ter Stegen, Alexander Nübel and Oliver Baumann remain, alongside rising talents such as Jonas Urbig and Noah Atubolu.
Germany still lack a clear first-choice goalkeeper, and that hands Karius a genuine chance, according to a report published by Tribuna.
One question remains. Will Klopp give the very goalkeeper who was a "nightmare" for Liverpool on one of its historic nights a new chance to write a different ending to the story that began with the Champions League final disaster?
