Luis Díaz, who has not played since the abduction, has received support from his Liverpool teammates as search efforts continue.
Alfonso Díaz, grandfather of Colombian soccer player Luis Díaz, attends a vigil for the liberation of his son, Luis Manuel Diaz, in Barrancas. Liverpool forward Diogo Jota raised teammate Luis Díaz’s No. 7 jersey toward the crowd after scoring the opening goal in their team’s Sunday match against Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool signed Diaz, a 26-year-old Colombia international from Porto, in January 2022 for a reported fee of around $63 million. Díaz has three goals in 11 appearances across Premier and Europa League competition this season. Díaz’s father is a well-known figure in Barrancas, where he trains young soccer players.Díaz did not play in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest after he was excused from the team upon hearing of the kidnapping.