Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is on the verge of becoming a Bundesliga player again with Schalke set to seal promotion back from the second tier in Germany
16:37, 01 May 2026
Loris Karius of FC Schalke 04.
Loris Karius of FC Schalke 04.(Image: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
No matter what he does for the rest of his career, Loris Karius will forever be linked with the Champions League final of 2018, when the then-Liverpool goalkeeper made some high-profile errors against Real Madrid.
That night in Kyiv will always be attached to the German, but, now 32, he looks to be getting back on track again. After loan spells at Besiktas and Union Berlin, Karius joined Newcastle as a free agent. He played just twice in two years there, and said at the time that he considered himself effectively "retired".
Then, though, the opportunity arose to move back to his homeland with Schalke, a team that was a Champions League semi-finalist in 2011 and finished second in the German top flight as recently as 2018/19.
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp won't join Real Madrid - but there is one job that could see him return to coachingREAD MORE: Milos Kerkez 'going to miss' Liverpool star as Dominik Szoboszlai friendship clear
When Karius signed, however, Schalke had suffered two relegations in three seasons and were dangerously close to the second division's drop zone.
Now, in part thanks to his performances and influence in the locker room, Schalke is on the verge of a return to the Bundesliga again. A win over Fortuna Dusseldorf this weekend will seal it.
"This was my goal from the beginning, to bring the club and myself back to the top division," Karius told AFP. "I came in with this vision and I think it will be a great story in the end.
FC Schalke 04 goalkeeper Loris Karius
Loris Karius is impressing for Schalke, who are chasing promotion back to the Bundesliga(Image: Rene Nijhuis/MB Media, Getty Images)
"Of course (I had) doubts if I can get the chance again to play at this level, if it will work out again. Doubts about my performance, maybe not, but of course there are certain things you don't have the power to change.
"That I can deliver, I was pretty sure of, but it was more the circumstances around if I can get another shot or not, if someone will give me the trust again."
Schalke sporting director Frank Baumann believes that Karius' quality and experience has been a driving force in the sleeping giant being close to a top-flight comeback.
"Loris is absolutely a big performer for us. He's experienced, he's ambitious," Baumann said of the former Liverpool man.
Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
From $100
LFC.com
See the deal
Liverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.
Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.
"He wants to get back to the Bundesliga. You see that in every training session, every game. He also had difficult times, which matched well to the club here."
Karius has another year left on his contract and he feels comfortable where he is. Regardless of what happens in the next 12 months, an extension is seemingly on the cards.
"Goalkeeper is the position where the head matters the most," he explained. "Every step you put wrong can lead to a goal everyone will blame you for.
Article continues below
"If your head is not right, you're missing confidence and you'll make wrong decisions. But that's what I like about this position. There are a lot of games where you can save your team, where your team relies on you, needs you, and you can shine and deliver."