Loris Karius says the fallout from Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League final in Kyiv took him to the bottom. The FC Schalke 04 goalkeeper also says he considered quitting football after that night, and his return to form in Germany has turned the comeback story into something more than nostalgia.

The crash after Kyiv

Speaking to bundesliga.com, Karius said: "Up to that point my career had only been going steeply upwards, then I suddenly crashed hard – all the way down to the bottom."

He added: "I even thought about ending my career, but I was only 25 years old and could not just stay at home."

That period is the centre of the story here. Karius was signed by Schalke in January 2025, and the club secured promotion back to the top flight as Bundesliga 2 champions in 2025/26. The move gave him a route back into the game after a spell that could easily have finished him.

His own account is still measured. Asked about a Germany call-up, he said there had been no contact yet and that he was not thinking about it at the moment.

Schalke form and the comeback case

The football case for his recovery is clear enough. Karius has made 22 saves after three Bundesliga matchdays, more than any other goalkeeper in the division, and his save percentage stands at 84.6. Schalke also conceded just 24 goals in their promotion season, the fewest in the league.

Manuel Neuer also singled him out after the final in Kyiv, saying: "Loris Karius was very good and definitely the right choice for Man of the Match. We had three big chances that he kept out. That was definitely key to us not winning this game."

Karius is not talking like someone chasing headlines. "When others bring me into the conversation, it's a nice validation of my work," he said. "I just try to help my team on a weekly basis. I just keep going and work hard every day. Everything else either comes or it doesn't."

Schalke have their goalkeeper back in form, and Karius now goes into the next round of league games with 22 saves and an 84.6 per cent save rate behind him.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →