Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said his team’s 3-0 rout of Nottingham Forest today was the most difficult game that he’s ever had to prepare for. That’s because the parents of Liverpool forward Luis Díaz were kidnapped back in Colombia on the eve of the match.
Upon learning of the kidnapping, Díaz left the squad and returned home to England, with the full support of the club.
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His mother, Cilenis Marulanda, has since been rescued, but his father, also named Luis, is still trying to be found and rescued by police. Klopp said winning, as they did today, was the only way to honor ‘Lucho.”
“The preparation was the most difficult I ever had in my life,” the manager said.
“I didn’t expect it and I was not prepared for it. I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was but it was most definitely that we try to help Lucho with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help.
“We cannot really help so the only thing we can really do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.
“We heard about it late last night. Then we spoke to Lucho. He wanted to go home so we sent people with him; we had people there to take care. There is part of his family there [at Díaz’s home] as well.
“It’s why they want to be together.
“It’s absolutely understandable. Then we got the news about his mum which is absolutely fantastic. Since then, nothing really. They are working on it but it’s some distance.
“We are obviously not the first people that get informed but we try to get knowledge of everything, as much as we can, but we do not want to disturb in any way.
“We are not the important people there. We just want to support – that’s it.”
Team News for Both Sides
Luis Diaz will remain on leave from the team, for the time being. Andy Robertson, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara remain sidelined as long-term injury absentees.
Switching over to the Cherries, the timeline of recovery for American midfielder Tyler Adams has now been shifted back again.
We won’t see the USMNT star until well into 2024. Ryan Fredericks, Neto and Emiliano Marcondes are all out as well.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.