Luis Diaz, who scored for Liverpool, sent a message to his father, who was abducted

Luis Diaz, who scored for Liverpool, sent a message to his father, who was abducted
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After Luis Diaz scored a late equalizer on Sunday in his first game for the team since his parents were abducted in his native Colombia, he lifted his Liverpool jersey to expose a T-shirt that read “Libertad Para Papa” (Freedom for Papa).

In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Diaz scored a goal to give Liverpool a 1-1 draw against Luton in the Premier League. He then sent out a message for his father, who is still missing following his captivity by the National Liberation Army, also known as the ELN.

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In the tiny Colombian town of Barrancas last weekend, gunmen on motorcycles abducted Diaz’s parents both; however, his mother was saved by authorities a few hours later.

After missing two Liverpool games, Diaz returned to training on Thursday. He declared himself fit to play against Luton, and manager Jurgen Klopp chose to start him on the bench. When he entered the game in the 83rd minute, he prevented Liverpool from suffering a humiliating loss to one of the poorest sides in the Premier League by scoring a goal that seemed to come off of Harvey Elliott’s cross.

“It’s an amazing moment, but it doesn’t alter the circumstances,” Klopp remarked. The release of his father is the most crucial development.

After the game, Diaz was welcomed on the pitch by both his teammates and the Luton players.

Klopp continued, “It is fantastic that he desired to be here.” That’s it; it’s a very important aim for us and a very personal one for him.

Prior to the match, Klopp stated that “positive” talks regarding Diaz’s father’s release were ongoing.

After a Liverpool corner, Luton launched a counterattack in the 80th minute, and Tahith Chong appeared to be the game-winning goal.

A decade ago, when the team was playing in the English soccer non-leagues and on the verge of financial collapse, its supporters could only have dreamed of such a result—a statement victory for Luton in its inaugural season in the Premier League.

“I am incredibly proud of the entire team tonight,” stated Rob Edwards, the manager of Luton. We have a lot of confidence after pushing an elite squad all the way to the finish.

We don’t want to give up our position because we have worked so hard to climb out of the lowest point. The players want it, and we’ll fight hard to get it. We are aware that it is a difficult undertaking and that we are up against enormous obstacles, but we are enjoying it and want to compete.

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