Liverpool FC's Luis Diaz emotional reunion with father after kidnapping

Liverpool's Luis Diaz has been reunited with both of his parents for the first time since they were kidnapped.

Diaz had an emotional reunion with his mother and father in Barranquilla on Tuesday 14 November at the national team base for Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil.

Luis Manuel and Clienis Marulanda were both kidnapped at gunpoint in Colombia on 28 October.

His mother Clienis Marulanda was released almost immediately but his father was not released for a further 12 days on 9 November.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Colombian Football Federation wrote: "This was Lucho's exciting meet with his father Mane Diaz and his family.

“We love you and we are more united than ever! @LuisFDiaz19.

"We are all Colombians.”

After almost two weeks in captivity, 58-year-old Luis Manuel said: "It was a lot of horseback riding, really hard, a lot of mountains, a lot of rain, too many insects."

Díaz was "weak" and needed help moving to and from a chair by his family.

He told journalists in his home town of Barrancas in Colombia: "I couldn’t sleep peacefully, it was very difficult, almost 12 days without sleep.”

The father of the Premier League player was kidnapped and held by guerilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN).

His kidnapping launched a search and rescue involving more than 200 members of the police force.

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