Karius didn’t cry after winning another match.
A few years ago, his name was synonymous with error. Two mistakes of his in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid cost Liverpool the title, and he became the butt of the world’s jokes.
What few people saw was the depression that came afterward, the months when he wondered whether he would ever make saves again without his hands trembling, and when he thought about retiring.
There was no stroke of luck or quick revenge. Karius rebuilt himself away from the spotlight, match by match, until he earned a place in the Bundesliga.
Today, now one of Schalke 04’s standout goalkeepers, he was named player of the match against Bayern Munich. Ending Bayern’s 58-match scoring streak.
A clean sheet, recognition in hand, and the taste of revenge he feels again after so many years, from that night when the whole world laughed at him.