The parents of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz have been kidnapped in their native Colombia, with his mother already released.
News outlets in Colombia have reported that on Saturday afternoon (local time), Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda were stopped by kidnappers when heading towards their home neighbourhood of Los Olivos in the town of Barrancas – where the Liverpool player is from, Goal reported on Sunday.
Due to the pressure from the police and military operations, Diaz’s mother was later found and released unharmed. But the Liverpool star’s father remains missing.
A source told Semana: “We already have the mother, she is in good health, scared, but she is fine. They took the father away on a motorcycle, they took him out of the car and took him along the trails there.”
Blu Radio, having managed to secure footage of the moment Cilenis Marulanda was reunited with family members, reported that there had been clashes between the criminals and authorities during the rescue operation. The vehicle she was in is in police custody.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have said they are aware of the situation with Diaz’s parents in Colombia.
The club released the following statement on Sunday morning ahead of the team’s game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The club said, “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia. It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”
“We express our solidarity with him and his entire family and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation,” the statement added.