Ex-Liverpool and Newcastle ace vindicated after wife refused to move for transfer

 Former Liverpool and Newcastle goalkeeper Loris Karius put in a man of the match peformance as Schalke pulled off a remarkable draw against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. The German side were promoted to the top-flight but lost their opening match against Augsburg before producing a stunning upset against the champions.

Karius kept a clean sheet in the goalless draw and earned plaudits from his opposite number, Manuel Neuer, in a jubilant moment for Die Knappen. The 33-year-old was central to ending two Bayern records as the stalemate marked the first time in 59 competitive matches that Bayern failed to score and the first time in 67 Bundesliga matchdays that Bayern will not finish the weekend at the top of the table.

"Loris Karius was very good and definitely the right choice for Man of the Match. We had three big chances that he kept out," Neuer admitted. "That was definitely key to us not winning this game."

Karius was happy to credit his team-mates for their efforts, suggesting that he didn't have much to do despite his notable impact. "It was great for me," he said.

"I only had to shout to keep going, move up, drop back. Real credit to the guys for what they did.

"They kept so much away and made things so incredibly hard for Bayern.

"The guys really worked hard until they couldn't go anymore. Everyone today can be proud of their performance."

Karius joined Schalke as a free agent 18 months ago, joining the side as back up to Justin Heekeren. The German goalkeeper, who started his senior career with Mainz, joined the club in January 2025 in controversial circumstances.

Having gone without a club following the expiry of his contract at Newcastle, Karius opted to move to Germany against the wishes of his life Diletta Leotta. The television presenter had hoped that her husband would join her in Italy where she has been a part of Serie A broadcasting.

Leotta was said to have struggled to understand Karius' move to Germany as he attempts to kickstart his career once again. His efforts against Bayern might have been some vindication.

Speaking following his move in 2025, Karius admitted that Leotta was full behind it regardless of her feelings. "Of course she was hoping a little for Italy," Karius told reporters.

"I explained it to her. She wishes me the best in my career and said she is fully behind it.

"Milan is not far away. We can find ways to solve it. She has a lot to do too, so we will both be commuting back and forth a bit.

"If your partner is also in the public eye, it's clear that something will be reported. But I never actively pushed myself into it. For me, the sport was always the priority."