Antonin Kinsky's Madrid meltdown for Tottenham brought back memories of Loris Karius and the 2018 Champions League final
Antonin Kinsky reacts
Antonin Kinsky was hauled off after just 17 minutes(Image: Getty Images)
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Antonin Kinsky would be wise not to look up former Liverpool keeper Loris Karius if he still holds ambitions of resurrecting his Tottenham career. The young Czech goalkeeper was hauled off after 17 minutes in a disastrous display in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.
Spurs interim head coach Igor Tudor made the brave decision to give Kinsky his first start since October for their last-16 first leg at Riyadh Air Metropolitano - and it went horribly wrong. The 22-year-old's chance to shine descended into a nightmare after his slip allowed Marcos Llorente to score after six minutes.
He conceded another in the 14th minute and, less than two minutes later, his mishit clearance allowed Julian Alvarez to walk the ball into the unguarded net. Kinsky's number was promptly shown by the fourth official, with regular first-choice Guglielmo Vicario brought on.
Cristian Romero and Kevin Danso embraced Kinsky as he left the pitch before the distraught keeper headed straight down the tunnel. With Spurs embroiled in a relegation scrap, it is difficult to envisage Kinsky featuring again this season.
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He may well have made his final appearance for the club. That was the fate that awaited Karius after his two catastrophic errors in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid. It was subsequently disclosed that he had sustained a concussion following a clash with Sergio Ramos shortly before the mistakes.
Karius had, in fact, performed a substantial role in Liverpool's campaign, featuring in 33 matches across all competitions. But there was no recovering from his Kyiv nightmare, particularly following the signing of Alisson Becker that summer.
A devastated Loris Karius after the 2018 Champions League
A devastated Loris Karius after the 2018 Champions League(Image: Getty Images)
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Despite playing in some pre-season fixtures and receiving a supportive response from Reds supporters, Karius never represented the club in a competitive match again, spending the following two seasons on loan at Besiktas before moving to Union Berlin, also on loan.
He ultimately ended his association with Liverpool completely in 2022 by signing for Newcastle, where he had to accept being third-choice goalkeeper. However, in a peculiar twist of fate, he got to feature in another cup final.
With Nick Pope injured and Martin Dubravka cup-tied, Magpies manager Eddie Howe had no option but to select Karius for the 2023 Carabao Cup final against Manchester United. Newcastle were defeated 2-0, but Karius, who wasn't responsible for either goal, could hold his head high.
A group of enthusiastic individuals are gathered in a stadium, holding up banners and cheering. Among them, a player is prominently displaying a jersey with the number 5, while others are dressed in a variety of attire, including hats and long sleeves, reflecting the diverse crowd's excitement.
Karius is a crowd favourite at Schalke(Image: Getty Images)
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Now 32, Karius could be celebrating at the end of the season. Having signed for fallen German giants Schalke on a permanent deal in January 2025, he is first choice for a side sitting top of Bundesliga 2, though he is presently recovering from a back injury.
Given the typical length of a goalkeeper's career, there's every possibility Kinsky will bounce back from his Champions League nightmare as well. It just may not be at Tottenham.
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