Emotional words: Díaz asks for his father's release
In a moving statement, Liverpool professional Luis Díaz has asked for the release of his kidnapped father.
"Today it's not the footballer speaking to you. Today Lucho Diaz, the son of Luis Manuel Diaz, is speaking to you. Mane, my father, is a tireless worker, a pillar of the family, and he has been kidnapped. I ask the ELN for the immediate release of my father and I ask the international organizations to work together for his freedom," the 26-year-old wrote on Instagram. ELN stands for Ejército de Liberación Nacional, a guerrilla movement in Colombia.
Emotional words
The striker's parents were kidnapped in Colombia just over a week ago, but his mother was rescued. "With every second, with every minute, our fear grows," wrote Díaz. "My mother, my brothers and I are desperate, scared and have no words to describe what we feel. This suffering will only end when we have him back home. I ask you to release him immediately, respect his integrity and end this painful wait as soon as possible."
Díaz was back in the Liverpool squad against Luton Town for the first time since his parents' abduction and scored in stoppage time to make it 1-1 against the Premier League promotion contenders. After his goal, he pulled up his shirt and displayed the words "Freedom for Dad" on his T-shirt.
"We wanted to give Lucho - and he wanted it too - the opportunity to take his mind off other things a little," said coach Jürgen Klopp after the game. "He can't do nothing, he waits all the time, the whole family waits all the time." The signs from Colombia were "rather positive", Klopp said, "but what we all want to hear, that hasn't happened yet".
After the overall disappointing 1-1 draw against Luton Town and Díaz's late goal, no words were needed between the two, Klopp explained. "We just hugged each other. We know how he is - he is fine, but he is desperately waiting for the right news. That's all there is to it."
In light of the ongoing situation, Luis Díaz's focus has shifted from soccer to pleas for his father's release. Despite scoring against Luton Town in the Premier League, the victory was bittersweet as Díaz continued to fight for his father's freedom, publicly displaying the message "Freedom for Dad" on his shirt.
Source: www.dpa.com
