Jurgen Klopp Pays Tribute to Luis Diaz After Kidnapping of His Parents
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to winger Luis Diaz following the news that his parents had been kidnapped in Colombia. Diaz was absent from Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, with his mother since being rescued and a 200 million peso reward offered for information leading to his father’s location.
Klopp described the preparations for the game as “the most difficult” he had ever experienced, adding that “we cannot really help, so the only thing we can do is fight for him.” The squad’s support of Diaz was evident after the opening goal at Anfield, with Diogo Jota – who replaced the Colombian in the starting lineup – holding up his No. 7 shirt in tribute.
In his post-match press conference, Klopp said: “We heard about it late last night, we spoke to Lucho, he wanted to go home, we sent people with him, have people there who take care [of him]. There are parts of his family there as well, that’s why they want to be together, that’s absolutely understandable. We got the news with the mum, which is fantastic, and since then nothing really. They all work on it, clearly. We don’t want to disturb in any way. We are not the important people there, we just want to support. That’s it.”
Klopp went on to explain how difficult it was to focus on the game in such a situation, saying: “How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult. I never struggled with that in my life, it was always my safe place, sometimes my hiding place. As a player, as a coach, you are allowed in these 90-odd minutes to focus just on that.”
The manager also spoke of the team’s tribute to Diaz after Jota scored the opening goal, saying: “It was clear we have to give the game an extra sense, and that was fighting for Lucho. Then the boys pulled out the shirt and I was not 100 percent prepared for that, to be honest. It was really touching, but wonderful as well.”
The situation around Diaz has been a difficult one for everyone involved and Klopp’s words of support for the player have been appreciated by fans and teammates alike. The club is continuing to monitor the situation closely and will do everything they can to support Diaz and his family during this difficult time.