Parents Of Liverpool Star Luis Díaz Kidnapped in Colombia, Father Still Missing
The parents of Liverpool FC forward Luis Díaz were kidnapped by armed men in their native Colombia on Saturday. While the perpetrators have since released his mother, Díaz's father is still missing.
Díaz did not join the team for Sunday's matchup against Nottingham Forest.
"Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Díaz in Colombia," the club said in a statement.
"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."
Details surrounding the kidnapping are unclear.
Semana reported Luis Manuel Díaz and Cilenis Marulanda were stopped by kidnappers when heading toward their home neighborhood of Los Olivos in Barrancas — where the Liverpool player is from. The outlet said armed men riding motorcycles intercepted their vehicle.
But another version of events claimed the couple was watching a game when kidnappers arrived and took them away.
Authorities Working To Rescue Father Of Luis Díaz
Colombian police and military reportedly joined forces to carry out search operations and set up checkpoints to stop and identify those traveling on motorcycles. Amid pressure from law enforcement, the kidnappers released Díaz's mother unharmed.
"She is in good health, scared, but she is fine," a source told Semana. "They took the father away on a motorcycle, they took him out of the car and took him along the trails there."
The country's football federation urged authorities to move quickly to rescue Díaz's father. "
"The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Díaz are going through," the organization said in a statement. "From the FCF 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 director of police has been in direct contact with Luis Díaz. This is a developing story.
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