Liverpool fans have been criticised over an ‘offensive’ Luis Diaz banner for the Champions League final taking place Saturday night.
It makes reference to drug-smuggling and the alleged illegal drug trade in Luis Diaz’s native Colombia, which images surfacing less than 24 hours before the game against Real Madrid in Paris.
‘Only Colombia’s [sic] finest gets through Liverpool customs,’ the banner reads, created for Diaz, who has been a standout performer for the Reds since joining the club from Porto in January for an initial fee of £37million.
🚨 Liverpool fans are being slammed for ‘offensive’ Luis Diaz banner which also contains a mistake pic.twitter.com/1ti5oh8ui4
Liverpool supporters had been trying to show respect to the 25-year-old with the banner, but it’s somewhat been met with a critical response, for the misspelling of ‘Colombia’ but also its implied message.
Diaz has so far scored six goals and made five assists in his 25 appearances for Liverpool, who have played over 60 matches this season, every single one possible, and the player impressed many with the way he has fitted into Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The Colombian star is not guaranteed to start the final against Real Madrid – with Liverpool aiming to win a third trophy of the season – but is expected to be named on the bench by Klopp.
Around 60,000 Liverpool supporters are expected in Paris for the final at the Stade de France despite the two teams only been handed 19,618 tickets each.
As mentioned, Liverpool fans have been criticised over the ‘offensive’ Luis Diaz banner ahead of Saturday night’s Champions League final, though there were others who thought there was nothing wrong with it…
@RB5EP: With respect, this is national stereotyping that Diaz would hate. And Columbia is a city in South Carolina.
@LfcStig: Don’t use this at the stadium or anywhere at all
@Edgenmachten: Literally the top 2 things Colombians find most offensive: associating their country with drugs and misspelling their country’s name as “Columbia”. I just hope Luis doesn’t see this.
@josego_38: This is the worst way to encourage a footballer, talking badly about his country and also with the mistake of the name, hopefully this does not affect @LuisFDiaz19
@painfulbusiness: Fucking hell, this is shite
@CCupo: If “brilliant” means Misspelled and highly offensive, yup nailed it.
@naismiths90: Worst ever, don’t bring
@chilemjh: Lived in Colombia and there is nothing that they hate more than a misspelling of their beloved country. Typical
@Miguel123d: Did you think of that one all by yourself?
@josepolanco10: Misspelling and stereotyping, This ain’t it boss
@certivybz: Colombia* and Colombians hate the drug stereotype, don’t take this to paris lmao
@Atexo02: It’s not, both are blatantly racist and just saying it’s a joke of endearment doesn’t make it less racist. Or how about TAA getting a sign about bindipping? The double standards you lot show are so weird
@richfly458: Nope, burn it, wrong on so many levels.
@DrPills_: Not brilliant AT ALL. 1. If you are talking about the country its COlombia not Columbia. 2. Making fun of something that caused pain to literally MILLIONS in Colombia in the last 30 years is not brilliant at all. from a diehard LFC fan, get your shit together
@sansamgo: As a Colombian this is offensive in sooo many f**ing levels. Would love to meet the “genius” behind this idea 🤬
@carlosm85500244: But we do take our spelling and stereotypes very seriously lid!
@KanteBeStopped7: Pool fans’ intelligence on full display here
@CamJames_19: So you’ve stereotyped the country he’s from and you’ve even spelt the name of his country wrong? Yeah, I’m sure he’ll love that 👏
@j_atkinson04: Fucking embarrassing hahaha
@jgarcialecompte: Thanks for disrespecting Diaz and Colombians. ColOmbia is much more than drugs. We’re a multicultural society, composed by different races and humble, hard-working people. Before posting something like this, please do research and learn about Colombia and Luis personal story
@danny_mccord: Díaz will be offended by it also…slandering his nation. Thick as mince.
@Harry_VTID: So you spelt his country wrong and made a joke about cocaine. The 2 biggest things that offend Colombians. I’m sure he’ll love that
@lewisprime_96: Couldn’t spell his country’s name properly and a drug reference he probably wouldn’t appreciate, and I assume the average Colombian wouldn’t either😂
@PejiSeven: Colombians won’t find this brilliant, you‘ve managed to butcher the spelling, while trying to be clever by referencing drugs. Throw it away.
@cfcchapa: Yesss getting the country wrong and talking about drugs, wich is one of the most problematic things for colombians… Very ignorant banner.
@r0bc86: 🤣🤣🤣 state of that
As a fellow Red this is shameful stereotyping. Watch this for an insight into Luis’s background: https://t.co/XPEbTJkDkD
— Sean David Thomas (@seandavidthomas) May 27, 2022
Meanwhile, pundit Chris Sutton has praised Luis Diaz, saying: “The Premier League’s best new addition. In four months, he’s got his hands on the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Now he wants the Champions League. His dynamism and directness are dangerous and he is capable of having Dani Carvajal on toast.”
Garth Crooks said of the Liverpool winger after the cup final against Chelsea: “What a find this player is. He was good when he played for Porto but I think he is really going to be a star at Liverpool.
“On another occasion he could have had a couple of goals but his tireless running both on and off the ball was a threat to Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
“The only reason Jurgen Klopp brought the Colombia winger off after 98 minutes was because of fatigue. The player was spent and yet he still didn’t want to come off the Wembley pitch.”
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was stunned by the impact Luis Diaz has made at Liverpool since his £49m move from Porto in the January transfer window.
“Speaking of Liverpool’s attacking unit, the addition of Luis Diaz has sort of transformed them,” Merson wrote for Sportskeeda.
“He is ahead of Diogo Jota at the moment. Although they are two very different footballers, their flexibility allows the Reds to line up in many different ways based on the opposition.
“With Sadio Mane also in the mix, you only know that Mohamed Salah is going to play as a right-winger as the rest of them could pretty much play anywhere!”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described Diaz as a player who “fits like a glove to our football”.
“What a boy. What a story. What a player. He gets our football 100%. I feel lucky,” said Klopp. “He fits like a glove to our football and that is really, really special.”
“You don’t expect miracles immediately from these kind of players but he is not far away from doing exactly that. Long may it continue,” Klopp told Sky Sports in March.
“There is a reason why you sign a player. The reason is the quality that he has. Where it has been really special is that when we saw him we knew that he would fit in immediately.
“That is really difficult usually, but because he did not have to change, that is why we have a really confident boy. We want him to be natural.”
In an interview with Colombian magazine Semana, Diaz’s mother said he was already “maturing” as a person at Liverpool despite not being there long.
“I’ve seen him the same way since he was a child,” she said. “He tells me, ‘the manager likes me. When I play my games, he hugs me.’
“He has also been able to get along with his team-mates. They welcome him for being the way he is.”
Diaz’s market value has gone through the roof since joining Liverpool and it would be a surprise not to see him start against Real in the UCL final.
“The thing you can notice and see the most is the intensity of the game here,” reflected Diaz. “Tactically how we set up and the fact that I also have to defend might well be the most difficult thing so far.
“I do have that aspect to my game as I spent time playing at Porto and I think I managed to pick up and learn a lot there. I will keep on improving here as well but I’m delighted to have settled in the way that I have.”
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