30 October 2023 , 14:53
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The Colombia women’s national team showed their support for compatriot Luis Diaz with a touching gesture ahead of their friendly with the United States.
Nelson Abadia’s side, who are ranked 22nd in the world following an unprecedented showing at the summer's Women's World Cup, were beaten 3-0 at the Snapdragon Stadium in California on Sunday evening after holding the four-time world champions to a goalless draw last week.
A poignant moment put the friendly clash into sharp perspective as the Colombian players held up a national team shirt emblazoned with Diaz’ name during the national anthem.
The parents of the Colombia international were kidnapped on Saturday evening in the Los Olivos neighbourhood of Barrancas, in Guajia. Diaz’ mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was found safe, but the whereabouts of his father, Luis Manuel Diaz, remain unknown.
The women’s national team gesture echoed those of Diaz’ Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota, who held up Diaz’ shirt after scoring the opener in the Reds’ 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
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Diaz was understandably absent from the squad that faced Steve Cooper’s side at Anfield.
Goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamad Salah secured all three points for Jurgen Klopp ’s men, but the Liverpool boss said in his post-match reflections that the squad’s thoughts never strayed beyond the team’s No 7 and his family.
"How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It’s really difficult," Klopp said.
"I never struggled with that in my life. It was always my safe place, sometimes my hiding point as a player or as a coach. You are allowed, during these 90-odd minutes, to focus just on that.”
He added: "And it was impossible, absolutely impossible to do that. So it was clear we had to give the game an extra sense and it was fighting for Lucho. Then the boys pulled out the shirt and I was not 100% prepared for that to be honest. It was really touching, but wonderful as well."
Diaz and his family have been the recipients of a global outpouring of support over the past few days. FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted the whole of world football is behind the Colombian and his family, while the wife of Liverpool's principal owner John W Henry, Linda Pizzuti, offered a message of support, posting: "We are all sending love to Luis Diaz as he is with his family to help recover his kidnapped dad."