As Liverpool get ready to play Tottenham in the Champions League final, spare a thought for haunted man and outcast Loris Karius.
The Reds goalkeeper had a nightmare this time last year as his howlers were in part responsible for Real Madrid’s victory – and now Karius has confessed to the Daily Mail that he won’t be in Madrid on Saturday night.
After a concussion severely effected the German’s ability to perform at the highest level and a dodgy pre-season campaign with Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp made the decision to ship Karius out on loan to Besiktas for two years and buy Alisson Becker.
Results have been in stalk contrast, with Alisson giving the Reds’ defence a new-found solidity at the back that just wasn’t there with the previous incumbent.
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But the ghosts of that Champions League final must still be lingering around Karius’s head, like wisps of cigarette smoke that circle around a ceiling fan long after the burning ember has been put out.
Klopp has offered tickets to all loan players for the match, said the newspaper, but the goalkeeper has decided to go on holiday instead or risking disruption to the Liverpool squad.
And it’s at this stage that we can keep on viewing the German as a pantomine villian, or access our inner humanity and spare a thought for his haunted soul.
Every professional sportsman wants to play at the highest stage possible, and for Karius, this was it.
He hasn’t got any international experience to fall back on, and so the pinnacle of the European club calendar is the best he can get.
And for a variety of reasons, the man flunked it.
This is bound to have an effect, and you could see that in pre-season. You can also see it by his decision to stay as far away from Madrid as possible.