Loris Karius: It felt good to be back

The 32-year-old’s recovery went perfectly to plan. Over the past few weeks, Karius gradually increased his training workload and even went one or two steps further than expected. “Now, I’m just relieved and, equally, happy that I can play again,” said the goalkeeper, who wore the number 1 shirt for Schalke for the first time against FC Twente, having signed a contract extension several weeks ago.

His wife and daughter were watching on, as they were among the 4,999 spectators at a sold-out Parkstadion. “My family give me a lot of support,” said Karius. That meant it was perfect for him to have them in the stands, and that they were there to share the moment with him.

According to Karius, it was agreed before the game that he would only play 45 minutes. “I’m not back at 100 percent yet, but there are still two weeks until the start of the season. My aim is to be back in peak condition for the game against Hertha BSC.” The final friendly before the competitive action gets underway will be against Sevilla on Saturday (26/7). The match will kick off at 17:00 CEST.

Karius added that everything had felt good in training over the past few weeks. “But a match is completely different. When you haven’t played for so long, you always have a few thoughts before the game about how it will go. That’s why I’m pleased that everything I did worked out okay. I thought everything went smoothly. It’s also always great for a goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet.”

Karius’ successful afternoon was rounded off by the superb atmosphere at the Parkstadion. “It was a great environment. I loved the atmosphere, and it has made me even more excited for the coming weeks and months,” said the goalkeeper.