After Rönnow injury
©IMAGO
Carl Klaus celebrated his Bundesliga debut at the age of 32 in Union Berlin’s 3-1 defeat against RB Leipzig. The goalkeeper came into the game in the 31st minute for the injured regular goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow and impressed with good performances. “I also accept the congratulations for myself now, because when you make your Bundesliga debut at the age of 32 and have already seen a lot in football, then it’s still something special. In my case with NLZ at VfB Stuttgart, it’s something I’ve been working towards for decades. That was always the dream. The fact that I was able to celebrate my Bundesliga debut is really something very special for my life,” said Klaus after the game.
Rönnow injured his thigh with a long shot when the score was 0-2 and immediately signaled that he had to be replaced. Because substitute keeper Matheo Raab broke his hand a few weeks ago, Klaus was allowed to step onto the pitch for the first time in the Bundesliga. The Stuttgart native, who was trained in VfB’s youth department, previously made 27 second division appearances for Nuremberg and Darmstadt as well as twelve third division games for the Stuttgarter Kickers. In the summer of 2024 he moved to Union Berlin on a free transfer.
“I’ve sat on the bench a few times now in the first and second divisions. I’ve never had the feeling so quickly that something was really wrong with the goalkeeper. I knew straight away that I had to go in. I heard Freddy’s scream and then it happened very quickly,” explained Klaus. “The adrenaline definitely helps until the break because it just happens so quickly that you don’t have time to think. During the break you realize a little bit that you’re here at halftime of a Bundesliga game.” With four saves against good finishes from Christoph Baumgartner and Johan Bakayoko, Klaus showed good performances on his debut and should be important in the final spurt of the season.
