Rise, fall, and rise again: The story of Loris Karius' Schalke redemption

May 2, 2026 - 22:30

The Royal Blues’ success in 2025/26 has been built on a stingy rearguard, with Karius shining as the last line of defence. The shot-stopper has played in 29 of his team’s 32 games, conceding on just 24 occasions and keeping a Bundesliga 2-leading 12 clean sheets.

He has put in a number of match-winning displays, while his save percentage rate of 73.6 is the highest of all first-choice goalkeepers in the second tier. As such, his performances have earned him praise across the country, with Schalke’s record goalscorer Klaus Fischer saying in January: “Schalke have the best goalkeeper not only in the second division, but in all of Germany. The national team coach should really start thinking about what kind of goalkeeper he has and how he plays.”