Virgil van Dijk Encourages Teammates After Liverpool's Champions League Exit Against PSG

Virgil van Dijk has offered words of encouragement to his Liverpool teammates following their elimination from the Champions League after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Liverpool's Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones both had their penalties saved by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, which ultimately led to the Reds' exit from the competition.

Speaking after the match, Van Dijk acknowledged the disappointment but stressed the importance of resilience, saying, "It's part of football. I said to the boys, chin up. Get ready for the next challenge, a beautiful one at the weekend." Reflecting on the team's performance, he added, "I think we were pretty good today as well, and you want to go as far as possible, but we knew when we drew PSG it was going to be very difficult."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot also praised his players' efforts despite the defeat, describing the match as "the best game of football I was ever involved in." Slot's focus now turns to the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United, where Liverpool will aim to secure their first trophy under his leadership.

PSG manager Luis Enrique also lauded both teams for their performances, acknowledging the intensity of the game. He said, "Both of the teams deserve to go to the next phase... We tried to play our best, but it was difficult as they're so intense." He particularly praised Donnarumma's heroics during the shootout, noting the goalkeeper's "character and personality" as crucial to PSG's success.