Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar has made a frank assessment about the way Loris Karius was treated by head coach Jurgen Klopp following the Champions League final last summer against Real Madrid.
Karius made two major errors in the 3-1 defeat to Real for the first and third goal.
The German keeper was left inconsolable at full-time and held his hands up in apology to the travelling Liverpool supporters but the damage had already been done.
The 25-year-old was heavily criticised afterwards and was loaned out to Besiktas over the transfer window.
Grobbelaar made it clear that he still has faith in Karius who he described as being ‘a brilliant goalkeeper’.
The ex Liverpool shot-stopper made it clear that he does not feel Karius was treated in the ‘right way’ after the final by Klopp.
Reflecting on the night, Grobbelaar said: “Karius is still a very good goalkeeper, a brilliant goalkeeper,” per the Mirror.
“But I don’t think he was nurtured in the right way after what happened in Kiev. When he needed people to lean on there was nobody there for him.”
“It was a basic error. But you don’t destroy a goalkeeper over that. You tell him he’s the best and you work on it every day in training.”
“Clearly Jurgen Klopp didn’t do that because Karius is now playing for Besiktas, the fourth-best team in Turkey.”
Karius ended up being allowed to leave after Klopp paid what was a then-world record fee for a goalkeeper on Alisson Becker from AS Roma.
Now Besiktas fans may not be best pleased about being called the fourth-best team but technically they did finish the league campaign fourth. This just goes to show how important context is!
Karius joined Besiktas on a two-year loan where he has established himself as first-choice keeper for the Black Eagles.
