‘I’m sorry for everyone, for the team, for the whole club’: Loris Karius apologises for pair of blunders that ‘cost’ Liverpool the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kiev
- Loris Karius made two massive mistakes as Liverpool were defeated 3-1 in Kiev
- The German threw the ball against Karim Benzema to gift Real Madrid the lead
- He later allowed a long-range attempt from Gareth Bale to slip through his hands
- Karius believes his errors essentially cost the Reds the Champions League title
Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has apologised for a pair of decisive errors committed in the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday night, claiming that they cost Jurgen Klopp’s side any chance of victory in Kiev.
Having already lost star forward and top scorer Mohamed Salah to a suspected dislocated shoulder in the first half, the Reds were dealt another setback six minutes after the interval at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium when an eager Karius attempted to roll the ball out to centre-back Dejan Lovren and watched on in horror as it instead deflected in off the outstretched foot of Karim Benzema.
The German’s next mistake – which came after a swift equaliser from Sadio Mane and a sublime bicycle kick off the left foot of Gareth Bale – saw substitute Bale’s ambitious long-range effort slip through his hands, ending any hope of a late Liverpool comeback at 3-1.
Liverpool’s Loris Karius has apologised for his two costly errors in the Champions League final
The goalkeeper gifted Real Madrid the lead after throwing the ball against Karim Benzema
He later saw a long-range effort from Gareth Bale slip through his hands and into the net
Karius was understandably distraught after such a harrowing display on European club football’s grandest stage and could be seen tearfully apologising to supporters following the full-time whistle.
‘I don’t feel anything right now,’ he told Talksport. ‘Today I lost my team the game. I feel sorry for everyone. I’m sorry for everyone, for the team, for the whole club. The mistakes cost us dearly.
‘If I could go back in time I would. I just feel sorry for my team. I know I let them down today.
Karius made a tearful apology to Reds supporters after the full-time whistle in Kiev
‘It is very hard right now, but that is the life of a goalkeeper. You have got get your head up again.
‘For now, I’m just really sorry for everyone that those goals cost us the title basically.’
The fact that Real’s players were the first to go over to console Karius after the match gained much attention across social media, though the 24-year-old claimed that his own teammates did attempt to lift his spirits in the dressing room.
‘There’s not much I have to say,’ he added of those post-match exchanges. ‘Of course everyone tried to cheer me up, but there was just silence everywhere because everyone was really disappointed.
‘It will take us a bit to get over that of course.’
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