A few hundred yards from the banks of the Bosporus strait, a face stares down at the highway below.
The poster outside the Besiktas club store reads ‘Dare to Create’. It stretches seven storeys high. The model of choice? Loris Karius. It is no different at the nearby Vodafone Park, where the stadium shop carries pictures of the on-loan goalkeeper at every turn. There is a simple reason. ‘Handsome,’ a store assistant smiles.
Here, for the last year, Karius has been seen but rarely heard.
Former Liverpool keeper Loris Karius is attempting to rebuild his ailing career in Turkey
For a time, he did not speak to the English press and wouldn’t give the Turkish media much, either. After Besiktas’ drew with Istanbul Basaksehir last month, Sportsmail tried to grab an interview. ‘No, sorry,’ he said repeatedly.
This week, though, he broke his silence at last. ‘I don’t think about Kiev anymore,’ he said. ‘People can say what they want, it doesn’t really concern me anymore. It’s so long ago.’
Nearly 17 months, in fact. Karius was 24 when his two crucial errors cost Liverpool the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid. Death threats and exile followed.
Within eight weeks, Karius had made another blunder and been replaced by Alisson. For the past year, the German has lived as an outcast in Turkey while Liverpool have gone from strength to strength, winning that sixth Champions League and pushing Manchester City in the league.
While keeping an eye on Liverpool — ‘I am happy they won the Champions League,’ he said — he is still trying to rebuild. But last month he made another howler against Slovan Bratislava. It hasn’t cost him his place but still uncertainty reigns.
Karius had made two crucial errors that cost Liverpool the Champions League final in 2018
Still only 26, Karius is hurtling towards another crossroads as he approaches the end of his two-year loan in Turkey. He believes he can play for Liverpool again, yet the reality seems very different.
In August, Liverpool were hit by a goalkeeping crisis once more. This time, Karius was 1,500 miles away. An injury to Alisson left Adrian as the club’s only fit senior goalkeeper.
Karius could not be recalled so in came Andy Lonergan, a 35-year-old journeyman who signed in time to pick up a medal as Liverpool beat Chelsea to win the Super Cup. At Karius’ new home, Vodafone Park. It was a cruel twist of fate, another reminder of what could have been.
Another irony is that following his Champions League howler, Karius chose to live at the scene of Liverpool’s greatest European night. Even the black and white of Besiktas is seeped with Liverpool red. The club has a big following here in Istanbul and if this was supposed to be an escape, Karius has only jumped out of the pan and into the fire.
‘I don’t know if he knew what he was getting himself into,’ admits Akin, a Besiktas fan.
The German stopper is the model of choice on the posters outside the Besiktas club store
‘If you want to play here you have to be ready, especially mentally,’ adds local journalist Ugur Karakullukcu.
Nowhere does the spotlight burn brighter than in Istanbul and after arriving to a hero’s welcome, Karius was given the task of replacing the popular Fabri. ‘He had big shoes to fill,’ adds Karakullukcu. ‘His performances haven’t seemingly been enough for the fans.’
Well, not all of them.
Karius, reportedly dubbed ‘Casanova’, told Turkish media last September: ‘I did not have this many fans in England and most here seem to be female.’
That has proved both a blessing and a curse. ‘The first mistake he made was messaging some girls on Instagram,’ claims Akin. Shortly after Karius’ arrival, several women claimed the German had sent them ‘flirty’ messages.
The 26-year-old was given the task of replacing the popular Fabri after a hero’s welcome
On his debut, meanwhile, he was caught in no-man’s land as Diafra Sakho scored for Bursaspor. A few weeks later he flapped at a cross that flew straight in. ‘He was nervous at first,’ says Karakullukcu. ‘It’s been more of the same — ups and downs.’
Problems arose off the pitch, too, and relations between Besiktas and the goalkeeper soured over claims of unpaid wages. ‘Karius has gone stagnant, something is wrong,’ said then-manager Senol Gunes.
The German rode out the storm and in the summer he claimed to have turned down offers from five clubs to remain in Turkey. Until his recent howler, Karius appeared to have steadied the ship.
‘It was easy to blame him because he has that controversial reputation,’ says former board member Ibrahim Altinsay. ‘But I would have said the least problematic side of Besiktas is Karius.’
The club are in turmoil and their on-loan goalkeeper is merely another chip in the high-stakes game of poker atop Turkish football.
Last month the 26-year-old made another howler against Slovan Bratislava
‘It’s like Texas Hold ’em — everyone is going all-in but only one of the players can win,’ explains Karakullukcu. ‘Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas, Trabzonspor, sometimes they spend much more than they can afford so the pressure is much higher.’
At times in England, Karius’s shoulders seemed broad enough to carry a heavy burden. ‘If you play in England you’re a bit more in the spotlight,’ he admits.
At other times, his frailties were laid bare.
Karius did not cause major ripples in the Liverpool dressing room and in Turkey he has impressed people with his professionalism and calmness. For how much longer, it remains unclear.
‘Will I play for Liverpool again? Of course it’s an option,’ claims Karius. ‘If it’s not Liverpool, it will be another decent team so I’m not worried.’
Besiktas are obliged to buy the 26-year-old for a further £7.25million provided certain criteria are met.
Liverpool are top of the table and in Adrian the Kop have found a new cult hero
In any case, the pull from Merseyside will not be strong. Even without Alisson, Liverpool are top of the table and in Adrian the Kop have found a new cult hero.
‘Every goalkeeper would feel comfortable behind that defence but Adrian is doing a good job,’ says Karius.
Last season, Liverpool chiefs visited Istanbul and Karius still speaks to goalkeeping coach John Achterberg and some team-mates.
But Klopp’s team have moved on and soon their estranged goalkeeper will have to do the same.
For all of his optimism, Karius has never stepped out of the shadow of Kiev.