FIFA has rallied behind Liverpool’s forward, Luis Diaz, as his parents became victims of a kidnapping incident in their home country of Colombia.
While Diaz’s mother has fortunately been rescued, his father’s whereabouts remain unknown, prompting an intensified search effort by Colombian authorities.
Expressing solidarity with the Diaz family, FIFA President Gianni Infantino took to Instagram to offer his heartfelt support and prayers during this trying time.
“On behalf of FIFA and the global football community, I would like to extend our support and prayers to Luis Diaz, his family and his friends in these difficult times,” he posted.
Additionally, the Colombia Football Federation (FCF) has vehemently appealed for the immediate and unconditional release of Diaz’s father, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The plea was formally conveyed through the FCF’s official communication channels, including a statement on the social media platform, X, previously recognized as Twitter.
The FCF said:
“We ask the captors of Luis Manuel Díaz, father of @LuisFDiaz19, to release him now, without conditions. Football is peace. Lucho, we are with you. Colombia is with you.”
Following Sunday’s triumphant 3-0 home victory against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp remarked that the preparation leading up to the match had been “the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life”.
Klopp added:
“I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it.
“I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help.
“So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.”
Liverpool clinched their fifth consecutive home triumph in the Premier League, narrowing the gap to three points behind the table-topping Tottenham.
But Klopp said:
“How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult. I’ve never struggled with that in my life.
“We heard late last night about it. We spoke to Luis, he wanted to go home…Then we got the news with his mum, which is fantastic, and since then nothing really.
“We are obviously the first people to get involved and we try to have knowledge of everything as much as we can, but we don’t want to disturb in any way the important people there, we just want to support, that’s it.”
Liverpool said in a statement:
“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.”
Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro said on X:
“In an operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father.”
In January 2022, Liverpool acquired Diaz from Porto in a primary agreement worth £37.5 million, with an additional potential sum of £12.5 million factored in as add-ons.
This season, the 26-year-old winger has participated in 11 matches, finding the back of the net on three occasions.
While Diaz began in the recent Premier League triumph against Everton, he remained an unused substitute during Thursday’s 5-1 victory against Toulouse in the Europa League. However, notably absent from the 18-player squad was Diaz during Forest’s visit to Anfield.
