Loris Karius has said there is no “bad blood” between him and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as he attempts to relaunch his career in English football with Newcastle United — more than four years after playing his last game for Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid.
The former Mainz goalkeeper was blamed for two mistakes during the 3-1 final defeat in Kyiv, including conceding a 40-yard shot from Gareth Bale, but despite subsequent revelations that Karius had been concussed earlier in the game, Klopp replaced him with Alisson weeks later and did not select him for the first-team again.
Karius has been on a short-term deal at Newcastle since September, and sources have told ESPN manager Eddie Howe is keen to extend the goalkeeper’s contract, which expires at the end of December, until the end of this season.
Having spent three seasons on loan away from Liverpool since the Madrid defeat — two seasons at Besiktas and a year at Union Berlin — Karius saw out the final year of his Anfield contract without a single appearance last season.
But while he admitted that the Champions League final cost him his Liverpool career, Karius said he has no issue with how he was treated by Klopp during his final season at the club.
“My time at Liverpool was over and I was looking to move on [in 2021], but then there was difficulties to get a transfer done,” Karius said. “I found myself in a situation where I had to stay at Liverpool, knowing I wouldn’t get my chance.
“It was discussed openly with the manager. There’s no bad blood, but knowing the situation from the beginning was tough.
“Last season, being left out of the matchday squad, you lose a bit of the feeling you have when you win, lose and travel with the team.
“You just miss it. It’s then not easy to stay positive and keep working because you obviously know you are not going to be involved. I learned a lot from that and tried my best in training and keep myself positive on the mental side.
“I’ve played over 200 games in the first division and national teams so I knew my qualities.
“I knew I had plenty to offer. I am only turning 30 and that’s not old for a keeper, but of course last season was difficult.”
Karius, whose only appearance for Newcastle to date was in a friendly against Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, said his career is now moving forward again, despite accepting that he cannot escape memories of the Champions League final against Madrid.
“It made me go to another club,” Karius added. “It was maybe a move that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
“I have said everything about this [the 2018 Champions League final]. For me it is tiring to keep talking about it, it’s football and things happen.
“In my case there were a lot of unfortunate things, but I don’t think about it anymore. Four years in football feels like eight or 12.
“I was out of the spotlight in Turkey and Germany, so I haven’t been in England. But people know me in England.
“I am ready, I needed to train and needed time to adapt [at Newcastle] because I was training for three months alone.
“I am now really pleased with the training and know now I can do it in a match moving forward.
“It’s been a great few months. Of course, I don’t play yet, but how I’ve been training, how I was welcomed by the whole group makes me believe I can achieve more things here.
“That’s my aim, to be here for a long project instead of a short one.”
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