Luis Díaz living the dream after a fairytale rise to the top
Colombian winger who began his footballing career on the dusty backstreets of a poor Colombian town now on the cusp of Champions League glory with Liverpool
Luis Manuel Díaz in front of a mural of his son, Liverpool's Luis Diaz The family home located in the Barrancas neighbourhood of Llaneras, is opposite a football pitch where Díaz first learnt how to play. His father is still training players at the local Club Baller, which has 130 children in different categories. Photograph: Charlie Cordero/The Guardian
Fri May 27 2022 - 01:00
Barrancas is a town like many others across Colombia. From the early hours of the morning, motorbikes and tuk-tuks dart up and down the small town’s high street, beeping past pedestrians and zipping around street vendors as they line up their plantain and fresh produce under the shade of mango trees to shelter from the scorching sun.
Locals cluster around monitors on the pavement and try their luck at a digital version of roulette. In reality though, there is only one number that locals have their hopes on: Luis Díaz’s number 23.
Liverpool’s new star was formed and forged on the streets of Barrancas and his mark on the town is evident. A large mural along the high street features the player celebrating a goal in a Colombia shirt, alongside the phrase “Barraquero pride”.
“It’s a great pride because we do not have any opportunities here, and to see your friend doing what he always dreamed of is huge,” says Brayan Gómez, Díaz’s childhood friend and neighbour.
That same pride is evident among the Díaz family, which is an incredibly tight-knit unit. Many of them still remain in Barrancas and live in the player’s childhood home.
“You cannot imagine the happiness,” his father, Luis Manuel Díaz – who was also his son’s first coach – explains. “I feel very happy, proud and satisfied with the job that we did as a family so that Lucho could achieve what he wanted. This was his wish.”
However, not all in the Díaz household shared that wish.
“I didn’t want him to be a football player,” his mother, Cilenis Marulanda, says.
She was worried her son would spend too much time out on the streets and away from his schoolbooks, and was also concerned that the small, skinny Díaz would get hurt by bigger players.
Children playing football on a dusty field in Barrancas, Guajira province, Colombia where Luis Diaz began to hone the skills that would see him eventually sign for Liverpool. Photograph: Daniel Munoz/AFP
Luisfer, as his family also call him, was raised alongside his grandparents, cousins and aunts in an austere home built with traditional mud and wood walls, which were replaced by more sturdy brick and plaster walls when he was young. This was not necessarily a reflection of his family’s poverty but more a mirror of the harsh reality that many families across the northern state of La Guajira face.
The family home remains humble yet is now adorned with a large, colourful mural of the Liverpool star, featuring the badges of the clubs he has represented throughout his career. A misspelt “Yuo’ll Never Walk Alone” can be spotted on the Liverpool crest, though the family are not too fussed about that. Pride abides in the Díaz household.
“Our family has always been constantly fighting, supporting and working together to get ahead with that family love that characterises us. Today he is the reflection of a united family,” says Díaz’s older cousin Josher Brito.
La Guajira is one of the most underdeveloped and neglected regions of Colombia. It has experienced real hardship as many communities have long been cursed by drastic rates of child malnutrition, poverty, lack of water and institutional neglect. Opportunities for a better future are few and far between.
“There was no belief in football here, so much talent has been lost. There have been thousands like Lucho. It’s very tough for people here in Barrancas to find a way out,” Brito adds.
The family’s humble origins never deterred Díaz, who played barefoot or in mismatched boots on the dirt pitch directly opposite the family home. It was his first stage, and on it Díaz was often found imitating his idol, Ronaldinho.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz celebrates scoring Liverpool's second goal during the Champions League semi-final second leg against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Díaz had always been a standout player growing up, shining at the various local tournaments his father took him to. However, he did not get his big break until he was 18, when his uncle took him to the open trials held by Atlético Junior, a top-flight team on the northern coast.
“Some coaches weren’t convinced because he was short and thin,” his father recalls. “But Luis had a lot of talent – he could dribble, had speed and could score, too – so some coaches took a gamble with him.”
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