When the final whistle blew at Olympic Stadium in Kiev on the night of 26th May 2018, there were scenes of jubilation and joy on one side and scenes of disappointment on the other. But near one of the goals, a man was on the floor, in tears and surrounded by no red shirts.
He was inconsolable that night as he was helped up by Real Madrid players. Two errors on the night from Loris Karius cost Liverpool the Champions League. Those two moments of madness changed his life forever. But little did he know what was about to come.
Emotions on and off the field were raw that night and Loris Karius became an easy target for the Liverpool faithful. The amount of abuse and ridicule he had to face in the next three months was just unreal. It was tough to be in Karius’s shoes and understand what he went through the whole summer.
Jurgen Klopp, after the World Cup, signed a new goalkeeper as well. Alisson Becker arrived from AS Roma with a glowing reputation & Karius was pushed to the bench.
As a result, Karius recently completed a two-year loan move to Besiktas. After a summer of turmoil, it is certainly a good move for the German, who joined the Reds for a fee of £4.7million. He can receive the minutes he requires at this stage of his career and most importantly, away from the glare of Liverpool, he can develop further as a player and as a person.
Every time the camera panned at Karius, the only thing people remembered was that fateful Champions League final. In Turkey, he will be away from all this limelight and that’s exactly what he needs.
The deal makes sense for Liverpool as well. With Simon Mignolet as the backup keeper, it did not make sense to keep Karius at Anfield.
As far as the Turkish giants are concerned, it is a good move for them as well. They have received a Premier League experienced keeper between the sticks, who can help them push for the Super Lig title. Karius has a genuine chance of resurrecting his career by working hard, forgetting about the past and believing in himself.
