Luis Diaz ‘is expected to be called up for Colombia’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers,’ according to reports, as the guerilla organization prepares to release his father nearly 11 days after his kidnapping.
According to local rumors, Luis Diaz will be called up to the Colombian national squad for forthcoming matches against Brazil and Paraguay, while his father remains a captive of the ELN guerilla group.
On Sunday, the Liverpool star made an emotional plea to his father Luis Manuel Diaz’s captors by revealing a t-shirt with the words ‘Freedom for Dad’ inscribed in Spanish underneath his jersey.
The message was revealed by the 26-year-old after his side’s late equalizer against Luton on Sunday, and he was spared punishment by the FA on humanitarian grounds.
Diaz Snr is expected to be released on Tuesday after the Colombian military removed forces from the area near the Venezuelan border where the Marxist-Leninist group is believed to be holding him.
After kidnapping Diaz Snr and his wife Cilenis Marulanda over 10 days ago, the ELN requested the move from Colombia’s armed forces in order to enable his release.
Despite the turmoil, Diaz is set to be nominated to Nestor Lorenzo’s team for Colombia’s next round of internationals, two of which are World Cup qualifiers, according to Colombian journalist Diego Rueda.
The first match, against Brazil, is scheduled for November 17 at Colombia’s Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla, followed by a trip to Paraguay four days later.
Diaz’s return to his home country in the aftermath of the kidnapping incident was previously deemed a security risk due to concerns about the player’s personal safety.
Colombians, including Colombian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Roy Barreras, have previously called for a boycott of international matches in order to compel Diaz Snr’s release.
The forward is a national hero in Colombia, where he is affectionately known as ‘Lucho,’ and the campaign was inspired by the success of Brazilian great Romario’s own efforts to use a World Cup boycott to hasten his father’s release in 1994.
Romario’s father was released two days after the Brazilian made a press conference to announce that he would not be traveling with the squad to the World Cup that year.
Diaz is so well-liked in his home country that an ELN leader conceded that kidnapping his father was a mistake.