It has been a hard time for everyone in the Liverpool dressing room as one of their own is struggling. Luis Diaz was informed on Saturday that his parents were victims of a kidnapping incident. Authorities managed to rescue his mother from the captors. However, they are still searching for his father who is yet to be rescued. Talking about the situation, coach Jurgen Klopp said, ‘it’s a worrying situation’ and ‘a new experience’ that he ‘never needed’. His teammate Jota dedicated his goal to Diaz in yesterday’s match.
On Saturday, unidentified armed motorcyclists chased Luis Diaz’s parents in his home country Colombia. They were in a car of their own when the captors arrived and kidnapped the two of them. The incident took place in Barrancas, La Guajira. Reportedly, authorities managed to rescue his mother from the kidnappers. However, they are yet to locate his father. They have put up checkpoints and are checking motorcycles and other vehicles. The search went long past the evening, yet they are yet to find Diaz’s father.
While Luis Diaz plays and stays in England, his parents stay in his home country. He might live far away from his family, but he is still close to them. His mother previously said that Diaz regularly keeps a check on them. The Reds winger has not made any comments on the incident. However, it can be understood how much pressure he has been in. In Liverpool’s win against Nottingham Forest yesterday, Diogo Jota dedicated his goal to Diaz. He celebrated his opening goal by holding up Diaz’s shirt.
Diaz was set to play for Liverpool this weekend against Nottingham. For obvious reasons, the coach made last-minute changes. He called up Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Mohamed Salah to feature in the front line. Talking to reporters before the match, coach Jurgen Klopp said, “We had to obviously make a late change because of the private situation involving Luis Diaz. It’s a worrying situation for all of us and it was a pretty tough night. I have never had that before. It’s a new experience I never needed.”
Liverpool won the match against Nottingham by a 3-0 margin. Diaz appeared in all of Liverpool’s games this season. This was the first match he missed this term. Liverpool released a statement of their own following the incident saying, “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia. It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”
Diaz’s national team also released a statement on the incident that read, “The Colombian Football Federation regrets the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Diaz are going through. From the FCF we express our solidarity with him and his entire family and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” Diaz is a beloved icon in his hometown. Hopefully, his father will be found soon and he will be able to get back with his full might.
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