Liverpool Icon: Jurgen Klopp Guilty of 'Destroying' Loris Karius' Anfield Career

At the time of writing, Loris Karius is plying his trade for Schalke 04 in the 2.Bundesliga. After joining the club as a free agent in early 2025, the goalkeeper’s contract was extended by two years after the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign, with Karius having finally found a home in football once more.

Almost a decade ago, Karius was regarded as one of the most promising goalkeeping prospects in Europe when he signed for Liverpool in 2016 for just under £5 million. At just 23 years old, the German was immediately first choice for the Reds upon arrival, though Karius was criticised for his somewhat shaky form across his first two seasons at Anfield.

Karius was a Liverpool player for six years, though never featured for the club again following the 2017/18 season. In the Champions League final against Real Madrid, Karius made two notable errors that led to goals for Madrid, with medical professionals stating, after the game, that the German had suffered a concussion early in the match.

Regardless, Karius could never escape from the shadow of that fateful game. After loan stints with Besiktas and Union Berlin, the German was released by Liverpool in 2022, spending two years as the reserve goalkeeper at Newcastle United before joining current club Schalke.

Loris Karius Liverpool Stats Competition Appearances Clean Sheets Goals Conceded Minutes Played Premier League 29 13 26 2,610' Champions League 13 6 16 1,170' FA Cup 4 2 3 360' League Cup 3 1 2 270'

In the aftermath of that Champions League final, many spoke out about Karius, with one Liverpool legend in particular making his opinions on the matter very clear.

‘I Don’t Think He Was Nurtured’

Liverpool legend came to Karius’ defence

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Soon after the 2018 Champions League final, as per Football365, Liverpool icon Bruce Grobbelaar stated that Jurgen Klopp, who was in charge of Liverpool at the time, should have done more to aid Karius in the aftermath of the game. Grobbelaar said:

“Karius is still a very good goalkeeper, a brilliant goalkeeper. The unfortunate thing for him is that he made two mistakes in the biggest game in football after making one mistake in his previous 33 appearances. But I don’t think he was nurtured in the right way after what happened in Kiev (against Madrid). “When he needed people to lean on there was nobody there for him. As a former goalkeeper and now a coach, the first thing that must be done when a keeper makes a howler like Karius did is to go and support him. You ask what happened, why, how? I’ve watched replays of Gareth Bale’s second goal over and over and it’s clear to me that Loris simply took his eye off the ball. “It was a basic error. But you don’t destroy a goalkeeper over that. You tell him he’s the best and you work on it every day in training. Clearly, Jurgen Klopp didn’t do that.”

A flamboyant goalkeeper, Grobbelaar was something of an anomaly in his era, with many later pundits having likened the Zimbabwean’s playstyle to that of a modern sweeper-keeper. Grobbelaar enjoyed a nomadic career, representing almost 20 clubs in a playing career that spanned from 1973 to 2007, including his latest appearances in football.

In 1981, the Reds signed Grobbelaar from the Vancouver Whitecaps, having previously experienced English football on loan with Crewe Alexandra. Grobbelaar became a key part of the Liverpool side that dominated football in the 1980s, winning a European Cup, three League Cups, three FA Cups and a staggering six First Division titles.

Grobbelaar remains a popular figure amongst Liverpool fans, a revered figure for his accomplishments at Anfield and, at the time, one of the most ideal people to come to Karius’ defence.

(All stats are from Transfermarkt and are correct as of 13/06/2025)

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