Six years after the ill-fated 2018 Champions League final, Loris Karius has faced a turbulent and downward journey, having played just 74 club matches since May 2018. His two-season stint with Newcastle ended this summer, leaving him without a club. As he searches for a new team, Karius has admitted that he is now “considering retirement” if he is unable to secure a contract soon.
In an interview with SPORTbible, Karius shared: “If you’ve been out for as long as I have, you have to consider retirement. I haven’t made a decision yet because there’s no need to. I’m still fit, and I still have all the potential and ability. But if no opportunity arises, I’ll have to be honest with myself and think, ‘There are other things I can pursue that excite me and that I enjoy.’ I don’t think it would hit me that hard because I’ve already been dealing with this situation for years.”
The 2018 Champions League final saw Karius make two crucial mistakes, which handed Real Madrid an easy victory over Liverpool. It was later revealed that Karius had suffered a concussion after an off-the-ball incident with Sergio Ramos. Despite this, the goalkeeper was never fully absolved of his errors. Choosing to leave Liverpool to escape the criticism, Karius now believes that staying might have been the better choice.
He reflected: “I tried not to pay attention, but you couldn’t escape it. People would confront me all the time. That’s why I wanted a fresh start, rather than staying at Liverpool where I could have been behind Alisson and still played. Maybe that would have been the better decision, but it’s hard to say. The experience has made me stronger as a person. It’s part of my story. I was a Liverpool player. I reached a Champions League final, even though it didn’t go as planned. Less than one percent of footballers get to play in a final like that. We achieved a lot, and that’s undeniable.”
Now, while remaining hopeful, Karius continues to realistically assess his future as he searches for a new club.
Loris Karius
GermanyLoris Karius has not played yet in this season. Last season he played in total once for 90 minutes for Premier League.
Newcastle United performance and stats
Newcastle United is currently 10th in the Premier League with 18 points.
In the last 12 games, it has won 5 times, drew 3 times, and lost 4 times. In its last match, Newcastle United lost 0-2 against West Ham United.
It has a even goal difference after scoring 13 goals and conceding 13.
Newcastle United will play the next match in Premier League against Crystal Palace on Saturday 30th of November in London. The prediction is Newcastle United winning the match.
