Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius was cheered on by his TV presenter wife from the stands as he enjoyed a fantastic debut for German side Schalke on Friday night.
Karius has been aiming to reboot his career in the German second division, with the 31-year-old having joined Schalke in January on a deal until the end of the season.
The deal ended a period in the wilderness having left Newcastle at the end of last season, with his last match coming in the Magpies 4-1 loss to Arsenal on February 24 last year.
He was handed his first start in over a year on Friday night against Preussen Munster, having previously been second choice to Justin Heekeren.
Karius was watched on from the stands by his wife Diletta Leotta, an Italian TV presenter.
Leotta shared footage from the stands on social media of Karius warming up ahead of his debut for the German side.
Loris Karius celebrated with his wife Diletta Leotta after his stunning debut for Schalke
Leotta’s presence at the match came amid reports she had decided to remain living in Milan
Leotta watched from the stands as Karius prepared for his first match in over a year
Karius made a major impact for Schalke with the shot-stopper making a stunning late double save from Niko Koulis and David Kinsombi, which led to him being mobbed by his team-mates.
The 31-year-old made a number of fine saves during the 2. Bundesliga match, which helped Schalke earn a narrow 1-0 victory.
The result helped to ease Schalke’s relegation concerns with the victory taking them nine points clear of the drop zone.
‘For a goalkeeper, it’s always good if you can distinguish yourself,’ Karius told Sky Germany post-match.
‘I tried to give the team security and to defuse what came at the goal.
‘But that’s my job, I would be disappointed if I didn’t make those saves. That was fine for the debut.’
Schalke boss Kees van Wonderen lauded Karius’ performance in the victory, stating that the former Liverpool and Newcastle goalkeeper showed he can ‘make the difference for his side.
‘It’s always a difficult decision (to change the goalkeeper),’ Van Wonderen said, as per The Athletic.
Karius made a string of impressive stops to help Schalke earn a narrow 1-0 victory
The ex-Liverpool goalkeeper made a string of fine saves during the match to seal the victory
Karius said it was good ‘if you can distinguish yourself’ following his role in the crucial win
The goalkeeper is hoping to rebuild his career back in Germany after a spell in the wilderness
‘But he’s been here for two months and today he showed that he can make the difference
‘I’m happy for Schalke, for the team and for him. Our goalkeeper made the difference today.’
Leotta, who presents Serie A broadcasts on DAZN, shared images of Karius being mobbed by his team-mates after his crucial double save with the caption ‘MVP’.
The goalkeeper was also seen waving to his wife in the stands post-match, with another photo showed an embrace between the couple after being reunited after the game.
Leotta has reportedly initially struggled to understand Karius’ move to the German side, instead urging him to move closer to Milan, before backing his decision.
Last year, Leotta pleaded with Karius to leave Newcastle and play in Italy after she had given birth to their daughter, Aria.
‘I explained it to her. She wishes me the best in my career and said she is fully behind it,’ Karius said in January.
‘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.
TV presenter Leotta is said to have begged Karius to move to Italy while at Newcastle
The pair, who have a daughter called Aria, got married on an Italian volcanic island last year
‘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.’
Karius and Leotta married in a ceremony on an Italian volcanic island aptly named Vulcano in June last year.
The extravagant ceremony on the island of Vulcano was watched on by around 160 guests.
There had been a conflict in preceding months as Leotta pleaded with him to leave Newcastle, where he made two appearances in two seasons, as she wanted him to move to Italy.
‘Loris has people at his side who work for him,’ she told Italian newspaper Tuttosport.
‘I hope he makes the best decision for his career.
‘I live in Milan, so let’s say being close to Milan would be ideal for us. I always tell him, players who come to Serie A then fall in love with Italy and often stay there forever. I think that could happen to him too.
‘[He should join] Monza or any other team in Italy. I would be happy if he came to Italy to play near his family.
Leotta had said Karius should make ‘the best decision for his career’ and move ‘close to Milan’
‘Newcastle is very inconvenient because there are no direct flights. Neither about Paris nor about Amsterdam.’
The pair broke the news of their engagement last January January, five months after the birth of their daughter, with Diletta posing on Instagram with her new ring.
They have been together since October 2022, in the aftermath of Karius’ exit from Liverpool, but have had to make do with a long-distance relationship due to the nature of their work.
Alongside her work as a sports presenter for DAZN, Diletta is also a model.
