Luis Díaz sends a message to his father’s kidnappers after scoring a goal in extra time: ‘Freedom for his father’
Luis Díaz returned to Liverpool on Sunday. It was the first time he took the field since his parents were reportedly kidnapped in Colombia by a terrorist group.
That group, known as the National Liberation Army, reportedly kidnapped Díaz’s mother and father last Saturday. Díaz’s mother was saved by a police barricade, but his father is still missing.
Díaz missed the team’s previous two games following the kidnapping, but returned to action on Sunday against Luton Town. He scored Liverpool’s only goal of the game, and took that moment to send a message to his father’s captors.
🔴✨ Luis Díaz decides to play despite his father still being kidnapped in Colombia…
…and he scores a crucial goal for Liverpool in extra time!
“Freedom for my father”, on his shirt.
Lucho ❤️👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/zNTOhDbA7d
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 5, 2023
Díaz pulled up his jersey after scoring, revealing a shirt that read, “Libertad para papa,” which translates to “Freedom for dad” in English. Díaz scored the goal in extra time. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.
The National Liberation Army, known as Ejército de Liberación Nacional in Colombia, is considered a foreign terrorist organization by the United States government. Colombian special forces are looking for Díaz’s father, and have offered a $48,000 reward for information leading to his rescue.
Díaz has scored three goals for Liverpool in the 2023-24 Premier League season. He joined the team on a reported $45.7 million contract early in 2022.
