Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius issued a painfully apologetic note to fans Sunday, a day after his error-filled performance cost the Reds in the Champions League final. Police, meanwhile, said they would investigate social media threats sent in Karius’s direction.
The 24-year-old German keeper was at fault in two of Real Madrid’s three goals Saturday in Kiev. The Spanish club won the final, 3-1, over Liverpool.
“Haven’t really slept until now,” Karius wrote on social media Sunday. “The scenes are still running through my head again and again … I’m infinitely sorry to my teammates, for you fans, and for all the staff. I know that I messed it up with the two mistakes and let you all down …
[Real Madrid wins Champions League final on stunning Gareth Bale goal; Mo Salah injured]
“As I said I’d just like to turn back the time but that’s not possible. It’s even worse as we all felt that we could have beaten Real Madrid and we were in the game for a long time …
“Thank you to our unbelievable fans who came to Kiev and held my back, even after the game. I don’t take that for granted and once again it showed me what a big family we are. Thank you and we will come back stronger.”
Karius had delivered a similar message after Saturday’s game, when he also approached the Liverpool fans in tears, while appearing to apologize.
“If I could go back in time, I would. I feel sorry for my team. I know I let them down today,” he said then. “It’s very hard right now but that’s the life of a goalkeeper. You have to get your head up again. These goals cost us the title, basically.”
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reported that the Merseyside Police would investigate the rash of death wishes and threats sent to Karius via social media, with a spokeswoman saying, “the force takes social media posts of this nature extremely seriously and any offenses identified will be investigated.”
“Merseyside Police can confirm officers are aware of a number of comments/threats made towards football players via social media,” the department also said in a statement, according to reports.
Many of Karius’s teammates were asked about the goalie’s blunders Saturday. Madrid’s first goal came when Karius flung the ball directly at Karim Benzema, and its last goal came on another Karius blunder.
“There are no words that we can say that will make it better for him,” defender Andy Robertson said, via the BBC. “We went around him. We all gave him a hug and tried to lift him.”
“There’s nothing to talk in the moment,” said Liverpool Manager Jürgen Klopp, when asked about Karius’s mistakes. “It’s really hard. I really feel for him. Nobody wants that. That’s the situation. The mistakes were obvious. We don’t have to talk about it. It’s all clear. He knows it, I know it, you all know it, and now he has to deal with it, we have to deal with it. We will do that. Of course we will be with him, there’s no doubt about that.”
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