Liverpool are supporting Luis Diaz after what they have described as an “ongoing situation” involving the player’s family.
The Associated Press news agency reported that the parents of Colombian and Liverpool striker Diaz were kidnapped on Saturday.
Colombia president Gustavo Petro said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “In an operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father.”
A post from the X account of the director general of Colombia’s national police, William Rene Salamanca Ramirez — shared by president Petro — said on Sunday morning, UK time, that support teams were using their “air capacity” to “direct the search operations for Mr. Luis Manuel Diaz”.
General Salamanca posted a video of a telephone call with Diaz to update him on the situation, saying: “We want you to know that we are first in solidarity with you, accompanying you, and that we are sparing no effort.”
The official later announced a reward of 200million Colombian pesos (close to $50,000) for information that led to the “capture of those responsible”.
Liverpool said earlier on Sunday: “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.”
Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5m in add-ons. The 26-year-old winger has made 11 appearances this season and scored three goals.
Diaz did not feature in Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League victory over Toulouse on Thursday but had been expected to return for Nottingham Forest’s Premier League visit on Sunday.
He was not named in the squad for the game at Anfield, with manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “We had to make a late change because of the private situation of Luis Diaz, which is of course worrying for all of us.
“It was a pretty tough night to be honest but now we are here and we have to concentrate on football, which we will do, but it was a pretty special preparation to be honest. I’ve never had that before and I’ve had a few games; it’s a new experience I never needed.”
Jota shows support as Klopp says players ‘fought’ for team-mate
Jota later scored in a 3-0 win over Forest and held up a Diaz shirt at Anfield in a show of support.
❤️ pic.twitter.com/tOqL2bQFL7
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 29, 2023
Speaking to the BBC after the game, Jota said: “Luis was with us in the hotel then he went home.
“It’s a very hard situation and I don’t know how anyone would react if it happened to you.
“He was going to play. I played instead of him and I showed him his shirt to show we’re with him and we hope everything works out.
“It’s unimaginable to think a situation like this could happen. We can just support him and show him we’re with him.”
Klopp added after the game: “How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult. I never struggled with that, it was always my safe place.
“But it was impossible to do that so we had to give the game an extra sense. That was fighting for Lucho.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
