GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Over six years after a challenging Champions League final derailed his career, former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is looking to reinvent himself at a historic German club grappling with its own set of issues.

Karius’ blunders during the 2018 Champions League finale contributed significantly to Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid. Medical assessments later revealed that he had sustained a concussion during the match. This game marked the end of his stint with Liverpool, although he remained under contract until 2022.

After being released by Newcastle at the conclusion of last season, the 31-year-old Karius is returning to Germany to join Schalke, a club currently struggling in the second division amid ongoing financial woes.

Schalke confirmed that Karius has signed a contract that will keep him at the club until the season concludes, but his position as a starting player is not assured. “Loris is fit and can begin training with the team immediately,” stated Youri Mulder, the sporting director of the club, emphasizing that Karius will initially serve as a “challenger” behind the first-choice goalkeeper, Justin Heekeren.

“I had great discussions with the club’s representatives and I’m excited to start training with the team,” Karius expressed in a statement. “Schalke 04 is a renowned club with incredibly passionate fans, and I have sensed this during my previous visits as a player.”

Since completing a loan stint at Turkey’s Besiktas in 2020, Karius has seen limited action, participating in merely seven competitive matches over the past four and a half years for Union Berlin and Newcastle.