LFC CHRISTMAS GIFTS

UP THE REDS!

Luis Diaz interview goes viral as reporter brilliantly translates hunt for match ball

Luis Diaz made the headlines on Tuesday night as his hat-trick helped Liverpool to a 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, and his post-match interview has gone viral.

Diaz netted his first-ever career hat-trick after starting up front in the Reds’ fourth game of the Champions League, netting the first, third and fourth goals in a half-hour flurry.

The Colombian was unsurprisingly named Man of the Match, while he was able to take home the match ball as reward for his treble.

And though he is not the most comfortable English speaker, Diaz joined Amazon Prime Sport’s coverage for a post-match interview with reporter Alex Aljoe.

The footage has gone viral – and not due to anything Liverpool’s No. 7 said himself – with Aljoe’s ability to conduct the interview while simultaneously translating English questions to Spanish and Spanish answers to English widely praised.

It included Diaz’s hunt for the match ball, as he explained: “It’s the most important thing that I go and find that ball now, because I need to keep it somewhere special at home!

“I’m so happy with the three points today and the win.”

In a week that saw Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill criticised for his attempts to shame English answers out of incoming Man United coach Ruben Amorim – speaking in Portugal about a Sporting CP game – Aljoe’s technique was hugely refreshing.

With football coverage often brought down by lazy punditry and attempts to engineer controversy, this interview was an example of top-tier live sports journalism.

Diaz clearly appreciated it, while Aljoe was able to coax interesting answers out of a player who is not typically heard from in the English media.

“We have top-quality players all over the pitch, but actually I really enjoyed playing in that position today,” Diaz said of his night as No. 9.

“Wherever I’m playing on the pitch I’m going to work hard and I hope I can help the team.”