As he gets set to play the biggest game of his Newcastle United career to date in the Carabao Cup final, Loris Karius will be cheered on be his TV presenter girlfriend Diletta Leotta, who is no stranger to a football pitch as an anchor for Serie A in Italy and Champions League matches.
Glamorous host and fashionista Diletta has a huge following of 8.4 million on Instagram, almost seven times that of her footballer other half Loris, who has been thrust into the spotlight ahead of Newcastle's trip to Wembley, after Nick Pope's red card on Saturday evening.
Eddie Howe's men were already trailing opponents Liverpool 0-2 when Pope rushed out of his box and handled the ball, being handed a straight red by the referee and heading off the pitch and straight down to the home dressing room, knowing his sending off would cost him an appearance in next weekend's final against Manchester United.
READ MORE: Eddie Howe quizzed over potential Nick Pope red card appeal
Martin Dubravka was hastily subbed on to get between the posts against Liverpool, but given that he has played for Man United in an earlier round whilst on loan there, he is cup tied and not available for selection in the final.
That leaves Lorius Karius and Mark Gillespie as the Magpies' choice of keeper for Wembley and it looks likely that Loris will get the nod, following his move from Liverpool last year.
And one person who will try to get to Wembley to see him in action on February 26 is Diletta, although she will have a busy schedule of her own to contend with, given her commitments as a Series A host, a role she has held down for streaming service DAZN since 2019.
Diletta's work this seasons has seen her cover big Serie A matches featuring the likes of Inter Milan and Napoli and Champions League ties including Juventus v Arsenal.
Her appearances on TV and Instagram profile, which is also filled with photos of luxurious trips away, both on her own and Lorius, has helped her to amass a massive following on the social media platform, with her fans including Love Island winner Ekin-Su.
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