Loris Karius’ girlfriend Diletta Leotta has written an emotional letter to the Newcastle United goalkeeper as he prepares to face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final.
Karius is a player whose career has been defined by a single game. Things have not been the same for him since his disastrous performance for Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final in 2018.
Two calamitous errors from the goalkeeper saw Real Madrid earn a 3-1 victory over the Reds that night. Although he remained on Liverpool’s books for four more years, that display essentially put an end to his career at Anfield.
After struggling to impress during loan stints with Besiktas and Union Berlin, Karius found himself without a club last summer. Fortunately for him, Newcastle signed him as a backup goalkeeper.
As luck would have it, the shot-stopper is now expected to make his debut for the Magpies in their Carabao Cup final against Manchester United this evening (February 26). It will also be his first competitive match in two years.
As Loris Karius prepares for the showdown, his girlfriend Leotta has penned an emotional letter to him. She explained that she is proud of her partner for how far he has come since that night in Kyiv. Leotta wrote for The Athletic:
“Dear Loris, I would like to write this letter to you tomorrow, or later, once the game taking you back on the pitch after these two interminable, painful and incredible years is over.”
“For now, I want to stop being the Diletta you know and, like Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, put myself in the shoes of the ‘Ghost of Christmas past’ and make you turn, look back and appreciate just how far you’ve come.”
“The days you spent believing in your dream, loving it, holding it so tight only to have it brutally ripped away from you.”
“The two years of sad nights, the knot in your throat and the bad thoughts that kept you away from playing, but not from your greatest passion; the green football pitch that makes millions of children dream every day.”
Leotta is hopeful that the cup final against Manchester United will give Loris Karius a fairytale ending. She added:
“Sometimes you need to take a step back in order to make a better run-up and I am sure this run-up will lead you and the whole team to fly. No one deserves it more. As a child, I always loved fairytales and I can’t wait to read this happy ending. With love, Diletta.”
Why is Loris Karius expected to start against Manchester United?
Loris Karius’ contract with Newcastle was due to expire in January before it was extended until the end of the season. It appeared that he would have to leave the club without making a single competitive appearance.
However, Nick Pope being suspended and Martin Dubravka being cup-tied has given the German a rare opportunity. He is thus expected to start in goal for the Magpies against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final today.