Loris Karius has confirmed he received death threats after his Champions League final nightmare two years ago against Real Madrid – and regrets not being more forceful in his response to criticism after Liverpool’s defeat.
Karius was responsible for two huge howlers that allowed Benzema and Gareth Bale to score as Jurgen Klopp’s team were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in May 2018.
It later emerged the goalkeeper had earlier in the match suffered a concussion after a collision with Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos.
Karius was the target of fierce abuse in the weeks that followed, despite being backed by Liverpool manager Klopp.
However, a number of poor performances at the start of the next pre-season made Klopp move for Alisson Becker as first-choice goalie with Karius moving Besiktas on a two-year loan.
Asked if he received death threats after the Champions League final defeat, Karius said: “There were some of them. But I can’t take that seriously.
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“These are people who write anonymously and don’t even show their faces in their profiles. I don’t think when people walk past me personally they can’t open their mouths.
“Players receive some extremely hostile messages on the internet. If you read every message, you wouldn’t be able to sleep for two days.
“It’s insane what people come out with under the guise of anonymity, badly insulting others, discriminating against them and then becoming racist.
“You can’t blame fans if they whistle a player. They pay admission and have the right to be dissatisfied. A professional has to endure that.
“But if there are personal insults or death threats, the limit is far exceeded.”
However, Karius admitted he should have been more forceful in his public reaction to the criticism he received from the public.
“Believe me, I’ve learned a lot from that!” he added. “In retrospect, I should have dealt with it publicly much more aggressively. I had a concussion after a blow from Sergio Ramos, which restricted my spatial vision.
“When the result was released, there was a lot of malice and insult, often well below the belt. I never used it as an excuse. But when people make fun of someone who has badly injured their head, I have no understanding.
“The reactions were over the top and disrespectful. My mistakes were not assessed fairly.”
