top of page
  • mrwedwards

'It didn't feel right' - Jurgen Klopp opens up on how Liverpool squad dealt with Luis Diaz situation




Jurgen Klopp says the close-knit nature of the Liverpool squad helped Luis Diaz feel as comfortable as possible during the ordeal of his father's kidnapping.


the Reds boss admitted it "didn't feel right" playing against Nottingham Forest just hours after Luis Manuel Diaz's abduction was made known to the player




Diaz snr was kidnapped on Saturday October 28 along with his wife,


Mrs Marulanda was found shaken but safe hours later but Mr Diaz remained with the kidnappers until Thursday


Despite a horrifying few days for Diaz and his family, the 26-year-old declared himself ready to return last week at Luton Town and climbed off the substitutes' bench to score


Klopp revealed he found it tough to motivate his team in the immediate aftermath of the news last month prior to beating Forest 3-0



Klopp


I don't know how to describe it, it's difficult in a different way,"


"I always know that there are more important things than football, I never forget that. It's just that during the games, from time to time, you forget that but around that it is always clear. The priority is always clear.


"And so I've never had a situation like that. We've had different situations in life and family members who get ill or stuff like this.


"Over the years we have that from time to time and you don't want that but you have to deal with it or even grandparents or passing die, you have that as well.


"But this [was] a situation which ends in a specific moment and then we have to deal with it but this is different because it is ongoing and you never know. You want to help but you can't help and that makes it really special.


You are always afraid for his dad in this case and he is a friend of ours and that is the difference.



"But the only way I understand is that Lucho has to make the decision, Lucho has to tell me: 'I want to train, I will do that'.


"I have never done that before for such a long time, at least, so it's new but that is why we dealt with it like we did.


"I understand that we talk about it and that we worry but what else could it mean? It's really not important.


"This group was very together before and at the moment it is just good that we are that [close] together and everyone is really caring.


"Lucho knows that and there's nothing else that I want to take out of it. I said in the first game (against Forest) that we had to fight for him but it was not that I wanted any extra fire, I just needed to find a way to get focused on the next game because that was super difficult the first game we played without him.


"It didn't feel right that we play football at all at this moment, it didn't feel right, but we had to do it, so we did it and the boys found a way."



Klopp added:


"For footballers or people in sport in general or whatever, that the team you are in is the safe place and it should be the safe place.


"That is what Lucho then from a specific moment on could use again. We are with him and we don't talk to him about it. It is not like we are [always asking] 'what is the news?'


"If we get news we get it then but we don't have to ask for it. We know how it feels so we don't need to ask about that. When he is here it is normality."





15 views0 comments

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating

Subscribe to our newsletter • Don’t miss out!

Thanks for subscribing!

bottom of page