Liverpool have confirmed an “ongoing situation” involving the family of Luis Díaz amid reports the forward’s parents were kidnapped in Colombia. It has since been confirmed that his mother was rescued but his father remains missing.
Díaz was subsequently left out of the Liverpool squad to face Nottingham Forest on Sunday. “We had to obviously make a late change because of the private situation involving Luis Díaz,” Jürgen Klopp said ahead of the game at Anfield. “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.”
A club statement from Liverpool had earlier confirmed it was “aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Díaz in Colombia”. The statement added: “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.”
Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, said: “In an operation in Barrancas, Luis Díaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father.”
The country’s football federation said in a statement that the kidnapping was regrettable and urged authorities to move quickly to rescue Díaz’s father. “The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Díaz are going through,” it said. “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.”
Liverpool signed Díaz from Porto in January 2022 in a deal that could rise to €60m (£49.9m) including add-ons. The 26-year-old winger has made 11 appearances this season and scored three goals.
Díaz did not feature in Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League victory over Toulouse on Thursday but had been expected to return for Forest’s visit to Anfield.
