Karius Seeks National Team Opportunity Under New Coach
Loris Karius (33) has never played for the German national team. Now, the Schalke goalkeeper hopes to change that under the new head coach.
Loris Karius, at 33 years old, has yet to make an appearance for the German national team. However, the Schalke goalkeeper is optimistic that his fortunes may change with the appointment of a new head coach.
Karius is gearing up for his first Bundesliga season in years, having joined Schalke 04 on a free transfer in January 2025. Recently, he extended his contract with the club until 2028. As the starting goalkeeper, he played a crucial role in leading Schalke back to the top tier of German football, and he aims to leverage this opportunity to catch the attention of national selectors.
"Maybe I Can Become a Candidate"
In a recent interview with WAZ, Karius expressed his hopes: "I don’t know what he plans. But I am now playing in the Bundesliga with Schalke—the conditions aren’t bad. If I deliver top performances, maybe I can become a candidate."
Despite his aspirations, Karius remains focused on his club duties. "I will give everything for Schalke—what happens next, we will see," he stated. Up until now, he has only represented Germany at the youth level, failing to break into the senior squad due to the presence of established goalkeepers like Manuel Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Bernd Leno.
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A Link to Klopp
The situation is further heightened by Karius's past connection with Jürgen Klopp. The new head coach, who recently signed a contract extending to after the 2030 World Cup, previously brought Karius from FSV Mainz 05 to Liverpool in 2016.
However, his time at Anfield ended on a sour note following a disastrous performance in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid, where Karius made critical errors. He later revealed that he had suffered a concussion during the match, which affected his performance due to a visual-spatial dysfunction caused by an elbow from Sergio Ramos.
On the field, Karius has shown resilience and improvement after a challenging period. Last season in the 2. Bundesliga, he kept 13 clean sheets and was instrumental in establishing the league's best defense. In total, he made 31 appearances, accumulating 2,790 minutes of play.
