Bayern star Luis Diaz reveals why his career nearly fell apart | OneFootball

New Bayern signing Luis Díaz has immediately delighted the fans of the record champions. However, the Colombian's journey to Säbener Straße was anything but straightforward. For a long time, coaches, clubs, and observers doubted that the now 28-year-old would ever start a professional career.

Díaz grew up in Barrancas, a small town in the Colombian region of La Guajira, an area with hardly any professional structures for youth football. "It was incredible that a talent like Luis could develop there," recalled his former youth coach John Díaz in the magazine FourFourTwo. The pitches were often littered with stones, with no sign of a proper surface.

Injuries also didn't stop the ambitious young man. "Once I ripped off my toenail with a shot. I just put a plaster on it and kept playing," he recounted. Football was more than a hobby for Díaz – it was his passion, his escape.

At the age of 18, however, the dream of professional football was almost shattered. While his peers were already playing in the youth departments of major clubs, Díaz was still kicking for a small amateur club in Albania.

Nickname "El Fideo" – the Noodle

Photo: IMAGO

His father Manuel finally pulled all the strings and arranged a trial for him at Atlético Junior, one of Colombia's biggest clubs. But the officials were skeptical: too frail, too inexperienced. The 1.80 meter tall Díaz weighed just 58 kilograms.

"Every night I told myself that I must not give up," Díaz recalled in Bayern magazine 51. His trial period was extended week by week – without a commitment, but also without a final rejection. The young Colombian continued to fight and finally got a place in the club, albeit initially with a loan move to second division team Barranquilla FC.

During this phase, Díaz also got his unflattering nickname: "El Fideo" – the Noodle. "He was very thin, almost always inferior in duels," said coach John Díaz. But the frail forward was not discouraged. A special diet and strength program helped him build muscle mass, while he impressed on the pitch with speed, technique, and goal threat.

His breakthrough finally came at the Copa América for indigenous peoples, where he stood out with speed and goals. From this moment, his career took off: At 20, he made his debut in Colombia's first league, at 22 he moved to FC Porto, where he shone in the Champions League. In 2022, he transferred to FC Liverpool – and in 2025 he moved to FC Bayern for around 70 million euros.

From outsider to star in Munich

Today, Díaz is a key player in Munich and delights with speed and unpredictability on the wing. Two goals and two assists in the first two Bundesliga matchdays underline his value.

Despite all his success, he does not forget his roots. "My Barrancas is wonderful. I wouldn't want to exchange this homeland for anything," he says. The story of the once-mocked "El Fideo" impressively shows how a thin boy from humble circumstances became one of the biggest stars of FC Bayern.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.