Luis Diaz to make call on Luton match, says Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp
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The parents of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz were kidnapped by armed men last weekend.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LIVERPOOL – Luis Diaz will decide for himself whether he can play for Liverpool in Sunday’s Premier League match at Luton Town following the kidnapping of his parents, manager Jurgen Klopp said.
Diaz’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, and father, Luis Manuel Diaz, were taken by armed men as they were driving in the La Guajira region in northern Colombia last Saturday.
Marulanda was freed within hours and the kidnappers said on Thursday that his father would also be released.
“If he feels right, he will be with us. You can see he didn’t sleep a lot,” Klopp told a press conference on Friday.
“The news from Colombia gives us a little bit of hope. I cannot say what we will do.
“It’s up to him, if he makes himself available or not.”
While the Reds have supported Diaz, former Liverpool striker John Aldridge admitted he would struggle with what to say to a teammate in the Colombian’s position.
He wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo: “I can’t imagine back in my day one of the lads coming in and saying ‘I can’t play today as my parents have been kidnapped’. It’s unthinkable.
“I have met Diaz’s family a few times as they sometimes sit in our lounge for matches and they are really nice people. You see how close they all are.
“You just have to hope it gets sorted out. It’s horrendous for Luis Diaz and he must be going through hell right now.”
Colombia’s government reported earlier on Thursday that the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas were responsible for the kidnapping.
Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco said the situation was “very serious” and that it violated a ceasefire between the government and the rebels.
People demanding the release of the father of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, after he was kidnapped, in Barrancas, Colombia, on Oct 31, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Peace talks between the ELN and the government restarted in 2022 in hopes of ending the group’s part in Colombia’s 60-year conflict, which has killed at least 450,000 people.
The government and the ELN began a six-month ceasefire in August as part of the talks.
Diaz’s father will be released “as soon as possible”, ELN representative Juan Carlos Cuellar told a community meeting, in a video clip shared by the ELN.
Earlier on Thursday, the government’s peace delegation charged with negotiating with the ELN called for Diaz’s father to be released immediately.
“We remind the ELN that kidnapping is criminal, violates international humanitarian law and that its duty in building the peace process is not just to stop (kidnapping) but to eliminate it forever,” Otty Patino, head of the government’s peace delegation, said in a statement.
People attending a candlelight vigil demanding the release of the father of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, in Barrancas, Colombia, on Oct 31, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The ELN, Colombia’s most radical leftist guerrilla group, has long funded its operations with kidnapping, as well as extortion and drug trafficking, according to security sources.
Meanwhile, Klopp gave an update on Thiago Alcantara, who is not training fully with the first team squad due to setbacks from the hip injury that has sidelined the midfielder since April.
“Thiago is an ongoing thing. We cannot put any pressure there as well. We expect him to be back at the start of the New Year,” Klopp said.
The German said he was unsure when Stefan Bajcetic would return from his injury.
Liverpool are fourth in the table with 23 points, three behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and one adrift of Arsenal and Manchester City. Luton are 18th with five points.
Klopp said he would not underestimate promoted Luton, who have earned only one point in four games at Kenilworth Road this season.
“We will probably face a low block. We will probably face set pieces with quality,” he said.
“All I need is a pitch, opponents and us there. It’s exciting, I love the story.”
Klopp’s former midfielder James Milner, meanwhile, said the German has mellowed since his early days at Anfield.
He told Brighton’s in-house media: “I think he mellowed over his time at Liverpool. He kept that fire when he needed it, but at the start he was very fiery and very aggressive.
“He had to get across his way of playing, his standards and what was expected early on. He adapted to English football and the differences between playing every three days and over Christmas.” REUTERS
