The parents of Colombian national soccer player Luis Díaz were kidnapped in his home country on Saturday. While the professional’s mother has already been rescued from the English Premier League club FC Liverpool, the father is missing, according to the local authorities, and is being searched for with a large number. The AP news agency reported this on Sunday.
The country’s police chief, William Salamanca, said in a video statement that every available officer would be used to find the father. Díaz’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued by police in her hometown of Barrancas in the north of the country. According to Colombian media reports, the parents of the 26-year-old left winger were at a gas station in Barrancas when they were approached by armed men on motorcycles. They are then said to have been taken away in a vehicle.
The Colombian Football Federation said the kidnapping was regrettable and called on authorities to rescue the father. Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp also said on Sunday: “We sincerely hope that the matter will be resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s well-being will continue to be our top priority.”
Díaz, who has not yet commented publicly on the situation, came to Liverpool from FC Porto at the end of January 2022 for a transfer fee of 47 million euros. In the current season he scored three goals in eleven matches. Liverpool face Nottingham Forest in the league game on Sunday afternoon.
