Luis Diaz expressed his heartfelt tribute to his father, who had been kidnapped, following an emotional late goal that secured Liverpool a valuable point against Luton Town.

The 26-year-old Colombian international had made the decision to return to the first-team squad earlier this week, even though his father, Luis Manuel Diaz, had not yet been released after being abducted by the left-wing rebel group ELN.

Manager Jurgen Klopp described the team as a sanctuary for Diaz, who entered the game as a substitute with just seven minutes of regular time remaining, shortly after former Manchester United prospect Tahith Chong scored the opening goal.

Diaz leaped above Luton’s Issa Kabore to head the ball into the net after connecting with Harvey Elliott’s cross, and he revealed a tribute on his shirt that read, “Libertad para Papa,” meaning “Freedom for my father.”

Teammates joined him in celebrating the goal, and fans in the stadium applauded him, despite breaking the hearts of the home supporters. Klopp had stated before the match that negotiations were progressing positively, as ELN had promised to release his father, although they had not yet done so.

Klopp explained to Sky Sports before the match, “It’s still very, pretty emotional but Luis decided three days ago that he wanted to train again. I said it before that the training ground and football pitch is the safe place for the boys.”

“There he can behave normal and forget for a few minutes a least what is going on but all the signs he gets I understand are very positive. Negotiations are ongoing but it’s still positive and so that’s why he wanted to be part of the team and he could come on as well.”

Diaz ended his silence on Sunday evening, releasing a statement on social media, saying, “Today the soccer player is not speaking to you, today Luis Diaz, the son of Luis Manuel Diaz, is speaking to you. My dad, he is a tireless worker, our pillar in the family and he is kidnapped.”

“I ask the ELN for the prompt release of my father, and I ask international organisations to intercede for his freedom. Every second, every minute our anguish grows; My mother, my brothers and I are desperate, distressed and without words to describe what we are feeling. This suffering will only end when we have him back home.”

“I beg you to release him immediately, respecting his integrity and ending this painful wait as soon as possible. In the name of love and compassion, we ask that you reconsider your actions and allow us to recover him. I thank Colombians and the international community for the support received, thank you for so many demonstrations of affection and solidarity in this difficult time that many families in my country find themselves living.”

Diaz has scored 15 goals in 59 appearances for the club since his initial transfer from Porto for £37.5 million in 2022. The draw earned Liverpool 24 points from 11 matches, with seven wins, placing them just two points behind second-place Tottenham, who were set to play Chelsea on Monday.

Luis Díaz

This season he played in total twice for 134 minutes for Europa League.

Luis Díaz scored 1 goal for Liverpool. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 3rd in Europa League. In the last match Liverpool drew 1-1 against Luton Town.

Liverpool performance and stats

Liverpool is currently 1st in the Europa League with 9 points.

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 10 goals and conceding 2.​

Liverpool will play the next match in Europa League against Toulouse on Thursday 9th of November in Toulouse. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.​