Luis Díaz made a unprecedented return for Liverpool as he scored a Ninety fifth-minute equaliser as his workforce drew 1-1 with Luton City within the Premier League on Sunday whereas awaiting the promised launch of his kidnapped father by Colombia’s Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) guerrillas.
After scoring his late objective, Díaz lifted his Liverpool shirt to disclose a message beneath that mentioned: “LIBERTAD PARA PAPA“ (Freedom for dad).
The Colombia worldwide had missed Liverpool’s previous two matches after his mom, Cilenis Marulanda, and father, Luis Manuel Díaz, had been seized by armed males in northern Colombia. His mom was freed inside hours, and the ELN guerrillas mentioned on Thursday that they’d free his father.
The 26-year-old was introduced on by supervisor Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool looked for a method again into the sport in opposition to Premier League strugglers Luton, who had gone forward shortly earlier than Díaz’s introduction due to a objective from Tahith Chong.
Nevertheless, simply because it appeared as if Liverpool would come away with nothing from a match that that they had dominated for probably the most half, Díaz leaped highest on the again submit to satisfy Harvey Elliott’s cross to go the ball past Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
“An exquisite second, but it surely does not change the scenario. Most vital factor is that his father will get launched,” Klopp mentioned after the sport. “It’s fantastic he wished to be right here. For us a brilliant vital objective and for him crucial and emotional, however that is it.
“We knew he can be a menace. We did not know the way lengthy he would play as a result of he solely had a number of periods with the workforce. However that’s not a very powerful half in the present day. He scored the objective however we have to see some enchancment in Colombia.”
Díaz launched a press release in assist of his father on social media after the match.
“At present the footballer just isn’t chatting with you. At present Lucho Díaz, the son of Luis Manuel Díaz, is chatting with you,” Díaz mentioned in a post on Instagram. “Mane, my dad, is a tireless employee, a pillar within the household and he has been kidnapped. I ask the ELN for the immediate launch of my father, and I ask worldwide organizations to work collectively for his freedom.”
“Each second, each minute, our anguish grows. My mom, my brothers and I are determined, distressed and with out phrases to explain what we’re feeling. This struggling will solely finish when we have now him again residence. I urge you to launch him instantly, respecting his integrity and ending this painful wait as quickly as doable.”
Colombia’s authorities mentioned Thursday that the ELN was chargeable for the weekend kidnapping of the ahead’s father.
Díaz’s father can be launched “as quickly as doable,” ELN consultant Juan Carlos Cuellar instructed a neighborhood assembly in a video clip shared by the group with Reuters.
“It says rather a lot about his character, about his interior power,” Diaz’s teammate Alisson mentioned after the match. “Not lots of people can think about what he’s going via. Soccer can convey pleasure in darkish moments.”
The peace delegation of the Colombian authorities, which is in negotiations with ELN, mentioned in a press release earlier Thursday that it was “formally conscious” that the kidnapping had been “perpetrated by a unit that belongs to ELN.”
“We demand that the ELN releases instantly Mr. Luis Manuel Díaz and we are saying as of now that they’re completely accountable to safe his life and integrity,” mentioned Otty Patiño, who leads the peace delegation.