Virgil van Dijk offered a brutally honest assessment of Liverpool's Champions League exit, admitting the Reds simply didn't do enough to overcome Paris Saint-Germain. The captain confessed he is "not in a good place" after the 2-0 second-leg defeat at Anfield saw the Premier League side dumped out of Europe. Van Dijk accepts 'deserved' European exit The Liverpool captain did not hide his frustration after seeing his side's European dreams slip away at Anfield. Despite a more spirited performance than the first leg in Paris, a 2-0 defeat on the night confirmed a 4-0 aggregate loss to Luis Enrique's men. Ousmane Dembele proved to be the difference-maker, netting twice to punish a Liverpool side that lacked a clinical edge in the final third. Reflecting on the performance, Van Dijk was honest about the gap between the two sides over the 180 minutes. "Thats the bare minimum, isnt it?" Van Dijk said when asked about the team's effort. "Its disappointing to be knocked out but PSG deserved to go through. Knocking on the door is not enough. Im disappointed that we were knocked out, but that is the reality. I think PSG deserved to go through based on the two games." Slot's 'survival mode' falls short Liverpools exit felt somewhat inevitable following a tactical collapse in the first leg at the Parc des Princes, with Slot later describing that performance as being in "survival mode". While the Reds improved at home, they were still unable to bridge the quality gap. Despite registering many attempts on goal, poor finishing and a controversial overturned penalty meant they never truly threatened PSG's aggregate lead. The exit means Liverpools hunt for silverware this season is over, leaving the squad in a somber mood. Van Dijk admits he is finding the loss difficult to process ahead of this weekend's derby clash with Everton. "We should be very disappointed at this stage," he said. "But a massive game awaits for us. We all know how big it is. It will obviously be a tough one but it is something to look forward to. But at this stage, Im just not in a good place because we got knocked out of the Champions League." Devastating injury blow for Ekitike To make matters worse for Liverpool, the night was marred by a serious injury to star forward Hugo Ekitike. The 23-year-old, who has been a revelation since his summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt, was forced off on a stretcher during the first half after collapsing in a non-contact incident. Reports have since circulated that the striker has ruptured an Achilles tendon, an injury that would rule him out for around nine months. The timing is particularly cruel for the Frenchman, who reached 17 goals for the season before the setback. Slot cut a concerned figure after the final whistle, admitting the situation looked bleak for his leading man. "I think we could all see that it didnt look well and didnt look good. Lets wait and see what it will be. But we could all see it didnt look good," the Reds boss said. Merseyside derby looms as must-win With Champions League qualification for next season still hanging in the balance ahead of their trip to Everton, Ryan Gravenberch insisted the team must find a way to redirect their focus. "Is it acceptable to be eliminated this way? No, actually not," the midfielder told Ziggo Sport. "Its disappointing. We have to pick ourselves up as Sunday is waiting." The race for the top four remains the priority, and the Reds cannot afford another slip in the Premier League. With Ekitike sidelined and the European campaign over, Slot must now find a way to galvanize his troops for a final domestic push.

Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer struck fluent fifties as Punjab Kings' winning run continued with a seven-wicket hammering of Mumbai Indians

It's been over three decades since a Canadian team lifted the Stanley Cup

Just a few weeks after landing a verbal commitment from the 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball, the Hawkeyes have now made it official.On Wednesday, Iowa basketball posted to social media that Jaidyn Coon has now signed with the program, making a highly-anticipated move official. With this signing, Ben McCollum has landed an elite prospect to add to a young, intriguing 2026-27 roster.Officially Official. Welcome to the Hawkeye family, @CoonJaidyn32! pic.twitter.com/XC51QGKs0X Iowa Mens Basketball (@IowaHoops) April 15, 2026Coon was originally committed to Creighton, but decommitted following the announcement that longtime Blue Jays head coach Greg McDermott was retiring. The Storm Lake, Iowa, native decided to stay in-state and buy into the program that McCollum is building, verbally committing to Iowa on April 2. He's the 49th-best small forward in the 2026 class and the third-best player in the state of Iowa, according to 247Sports.The 6-foot-6, 180-pound wing had offers from Iowa State, Illinois, and Nebraska as well, making it an even bigger win for McCollum and the program. With Bennett Stirtz off to the NBA and Tavion Banks potentially not getting a fifth-year waiver, there's going to be plenty of important minutes to go around. While Coon will have to earn those minutes over other talented options, it's not crazy to think that he could have a huge impact on next year's Hawks.McCollum is building something special in Iowa City, and Coon is one of the first to buy into it. It looks like he could do a lot of winning in the black and gold before his collegiate career is done.Contact/Follow us@HawkeyesWireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.Follow Zach on X:@zach_hineyThis article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Jaidyn Coon officially signs with Iowa basketball

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Thursday that there will "probably be a lot of trades" in the first round of this year's NFL draft.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have kicked receiver Ajou Ajou off the team after the CFL concluded he made 'aggressive and unwelcome physical contact' with multiple women at a Regina restaurant on the day of the Riders' Grey Cup parade last November.

Damon Jones, the former NBA player and assistant coach accused of selling non-public injury information, has requested a change-of-plea hearing in his federal gambling case.

King Charles appears to have discovered the Royal Family's next equine star after Portcullis delivered a devastating debut performance at Newmarket's Wood Ditton race.The three-year-old colt, bred by the monarch and jointly owned with Queen Camilla, overcame a troubled start to triumph by an emphatic five-and-a-half lengths.What made the victory particularly extraordinary was the manner in which it was achieved, with the horse stumbling as he left the stalls and conceding considerable ground to his competitors.Despite these early setbacks, Portcullis produced what observers described as a complete annihilation of the field.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayPunters had shown little faith in the royal runner before the off, with Portcullis drifting significantly in the betting from an initial price of 4-1 to 7-1 at the start.That scepticism from the market appeared justified when the colt made a hash of his exit from the stalls.The stumble cost Portcullis several lengths, leaving jockey Ryan Moore with substantial ground to make up in the one-mile contest.Moore found himself immediately at a disadvantage, trailing the field as the Class 2 race got underway.Yet what followed would prove the doubters spectacularly wrong.As the race progressed, attention increasingly focused on the royal runner as he began to find his rhythm.LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Liv Golf's top five biggest earners with future of breakaway league in doubtImane Khelif suffers major setback as statement issued by boxing chiefFormer Arsenal goalkeeper Alexander Manninger dies aged 48 after car hit by train A nice one in the Royal silksPortcullis hoses up in the Wood Ditton pic.twitter.com/oDEB0CJ8DK Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 16, 2026 Portcullis picked up pace impressively and moved through the field with remarkable fluency while his nine opponents were being pushed hard by their riders.Moore barely had to move a muscle as the pair glided past the competition in the 10,000 contest.When the jockey finally asked his mount for an effort, the response was extraordinary.The Gosden-trained colt accelerated away from the field like a genuine force of nature, ultimately crossing the line with daylight between himself and his nearest pursuer.Trainer John Gosden expressed his delight with the performance, saying: "He's done it well. He was a little confused in the gates but it was impressive to find his way back into the race."Gosden added: "I couldn't be happier with the horse. He was unable to race last year due to some niggling issues."The trainer revealed that Moore believes Portcullis could handle stepping up in distance, noting: "Ryan said a mile and a quarter would be within his compass."Looking ahead, Gosden outlined a cautious approach: "We'll probably go to a novice with a penalty next then, if he wins that, we start shooting higher."I'd prefer to have a small step first before attempting the high jump."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter