From pot front to T-Rex, on inspiration, Benzema may really be no better than Luis Díaz...
Barrancas is no different from other towns in Colombia. Every morning, motorcycles and trampolines weave through the streets of the town, speeding past pedestrians. Under the mango trees on the side of the road, vendors hide from the blazing sun and stack bananas and various agricultural products.
On the sidewalk, many local residents play roulette around a monitor, and all bet on only one number — Luis Díaz's number 23.
The Reds' new striker has honed his skills on the streets of Barrancas, where his mark can be seen everywhere.
Next to the street there is a giant mural depicting a player dressed in a Colombian national team jersey with the words "Pride of Barrancas."
"We're really proud, we don't have a head start here, and it's really touching to see our friends come true all the way." Dias's hair and neighbor Brian Gomez said.
Dias's family is also proud of him. This large family supported each other and were intimate, and most of the members still remain in Barrancas, living in Díaz's former home as a child. "You can't imagine how happy we are," Díaz's father, Luis Manuel Díaz, told The Guardian, "and I am very happy, very proud and very satisfied that our whole family has contributed to make Luzi realize his dreams." The elder Díaz was also the son's football initiation coach.
But when Díaz was a child, not every loved one supported his football dreams. "I don't want him to be a player," Díaz's mother, Marulanda, confessed. She was worried that her son would waste his studies in the street, and she was even more afraid that he would be bullied by his older children because of his short stature and emaciated bones.
The Louis family's house is very simple, with mud on the wooden walls and a dozen people from three generations of grandchildren. In the northern part of guajira, most families are in poor economic conditions.
Today, his house is no different from what it used to be, but with Díaz's humanoid cardboard at the door, his colorful posters on the walls, and the crests of the clubs he played for. The famous slogan on Liverpool's logo was mistaken for "Yuo'll Never Walk Alone", but his family didn't care much about it and just wanted to show off the pride of the family.
"Our whole family has been fighting, has been supporting each other, working together, this is our family's affection." He is successful today precisely because our whole family is very united. Díaz's cousin Brito said.
Guajira is one of Colombia's worst-growing regions, and many communities here have long suffered from child malnutrition, poverty and water scarcity. People don't see the hope of creating a better future.
"This side doesn't believe in the road of playing football, wastes too much talent, and there are actually many good seedlings like Luzi." The people of Barrancas could not find a way out. Brito added.
Birth has never been a stumbling block to Díaz's progress. He was either barefoot or wearing ill-fitting shoes, playing football in the mud across from his home, constantly imitating the movements of his idol Xiao Luo. It was Dias's first stage.
Diaz has excelled in his skills since childhood. His father took him to play a lot of local games and he has always performed very well. At the age of 18, he followed his uncle to the public audition of the Barranquilla Youth Organization of the BrotherHood Club, ushering in the first turning point of his career.
"Some coaches didn't look favorably on him, he was short and thin," Diaz's father recalled, "but Luiz was so talented, fast, able to burst and score goals, and some coaches wanted to try him after reading it." ”
More than 3,000 players participated in that selection, and only a few lucky ones ended up on professional contracts, and Díaz was one of them. He was young and thin, and the Barranquilla youth sent him to the reserve team, Barranquilla FC. Here, he trained with a group of U-18 teammates in preparation for the future top flight.
"When he first arrived, he wasn't malnourished, but he was really young, and his physique and weight were not very good. He had to practice hard at that age, and our coach had an obligation to help him, set up a fitness plan for him, and eat (eat) double. Coach Roberto Peñalosa, who had led Díaz at Barranquilla FC, told The Guardian.
Penalosa compares Díaz to a chess master, saying that his disciples are sophisticated and exude a sense of confidence brought about by strength. Even Peñalosa's daughters looked up to Diaz, believing that he would become a star in the future, pestering their father to ask for a photo with the young Diaz.
Díaz played very well at Barranquilla FC and was soon promoted to a first team, after which he also won the Colombian Football League. "We knew he was good at the time and didn't expect him to be at the level he is now. After he became the main player, we felt that he would become a star, but we did not expect him to have today's achievements. Peñalosa confessed.
Díaz's fame gave hope to the small town of Barrancas, and the townspeople began a game of chasing him without falling. Last weekend, many Barrancas people cheered on the Reds in front of the TV, wanting to see Lu zi become a Premier League champion.
"Just a few years ago, he was an ordinary person, no different from the other people in our town, very frustrated." The young Luis Fernando Azusa, dressed in a fake Reds shirt, sat in his little shop and told us, "But now, he can represent our country and play abroad, he gives us a long face and opens a door for others." ”
In a bar in Barrancas, the game was played on a big screen and a group of fans gathered to watch the ball. On the other side, a group of grandfathers seem to be only concerned about drinking and having fun, and do not care much about the situation of the game.
The atmosphere at the Dias house was much more tense. The family sat in a row against the wall in the small living room, watching the live broadcast intently.
There is also a pet dog named Tony Kroos in the audience. Every time Liverpool scored, it would jump up and bark with excitement, chasing its tail in circles. The family is convinced that the Reds can win the championship. The game was coming to an end, Liverpool's chances of reaching the top were getting smaller and smaller, and one relative still refused to give up: "There is still a chance." ”
The hearts of the whole family are touched by the Premier League, and only Grandpa Jacob sits in the shade of the trees in the garden outside the house, quietly sewing his pants.
Tonight, Díaz will reach a new peak in his career, with the Reds in paris to compete for the highest honour in European football. At that time, the 80,000-seatEdastadion de France will be full, and Barrancas will have more than 30,000 villagers to pay attention to Díaz's performance.
"Luzi is very humble, that's what I like most about him and what makes him famous," said Azusa Queto, a fan, "he knows where his roots are and he never forgets his roots." He is my idol. ”