Published on 30.10.2023
Jurgen Klopp expressed deep emotions and paid tribute to the absent Luis Diaz following Liverpool’s victory over Nottingham Forest.
Diaz was unable to participate due to the kidnapping of his parents in Colombia.
Klopp referred to the day as the “most difficult circumstance” he had ever encountered in his career. The distressing news surfaced overnight on Sunday, revealing that Diaz’s parents had been abducted in his home country. While the player’s mother has been released, his father is still missing.
Diaz was initially slated to start the game at Anfield but was replaced in the Liverpool lineup by Diogo Jota. After scoring the opening goal in their 3-0 win, Jota held up a ‘Diaz 7’ shirt.
Klopp spoke with Sky Sports, saying, “We played in the most difficult circumstance I’ve ever had. It was a really difficult day, which ended with a good result.”
“The best thing we could do for our brother was that we win the game and distract him a little bit maybe, all the rest was super special in the most negative understanding. After more than 1,000 games, you would think you have experienced everything, but no.”
“But it’s not about us, it’s about ‘Lucho’ and his family, and we all pray and hope that everything will be fine. What we can do, we will do, we’ve done already in the club, and the only thing we could do today was fight for their brother – and that’s what they did.”
Colombian U23 team and Colombian women’s NT hold up Luis Diaz jersey in support as authorities are still trying to rescue his father from the kidnapperspic.twitter.com/nVjJptmnI4
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) October 30, 2023
Jota, who had to start under incredibly challenging circumstances, also paid tribute to his friend and teammate Diaz after the game.
“Luis was with us in the hotel last night when he heard the news; it’s unimaginable to think about the situation like this,” he shared with Sky Sports. “I played instead of him, and I just remembered to do something as well as a team to show him we’re with him, and hopefully things work out well in the end.”
