News Headlines

Martin O'Neill says Aston Villa have recovered from Chelsea thrashing

• Villa manager confident of semi-final success• Richard Dunne could shrug off achilles injuryMartin O'Neill says his Aston Villa players are "very confident" they can overcome Chelsea at Wembley in their FA Cup semi-final this evening despite suffering a humiliating 7-1 defeat to the...

Brilliant Messi's deification must wait

Lionel Messi can deliver further evidence of his greatness when Barcelona take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid in El ClásicoWhen the nation has dried its tears following the elimination from the Champions League of Arsenal and Manchester United, although in the latter's case the lachrymal...

Schrödinger's cat and Rafael's red card

Bayern's Frenchman and Dutchmen may be 'typical Germans', but Sir Alex should have checked his physics books firstTypical Germans, eh? Apart from Ribéry, who is French, and the French, as far as I remember, tend not to like being described as typically German. They've had some history on that...

Exclusive: Phone-tapping inquiry over John Terry affair

Vanessa Perroncel, in her first interview since news of her affair with ex-England captain emerged, reveals how her refusal to talk to the tabloids caused a prolonged campaign of vilificationAn official inquiry has been launched into the suspected interception of voicemail messages around the...

'We want something more than the Cup'

Michael Ballack already has two FA Cup medals. What he wants is the Premier League titleThursday afternoon at a sun-drenched Cobham and the opinions expressed are brutally honest. A troubled week in which Premier League involvement in the Champions League was prematurely curtailed is "good for the...

Reina signs new six-year contract with Liverpool

• Goalkeeper signs up for six more years at Anfield• Rafael Benítez optimistic Liverpool can win race for fourthLiverpool were given a fillip after defeating Benfica in the Europa League when their outstanding goalkeeper José Reina signed a new six-year contract at...

Vanessa Perroncel: 'The stories are untrue. Who are they to do this?'

• Claims raise issues about media law and ethics• Model says she refused huge sums to tell storyOn Friday 29 January, in a courtroom in London, Vanessa Perroncel's life changed. She wasn't in court. She had nobody there to speak for her. But when Mr Justice Tugendhat decided that the...

David James says Portsmouth FA Cup win was breeding ground for failure

• South-coast club may be relegated before Tottenham semi-final• 'Had we not won the Cup, it probably would have [been] better'Tomorrow Portsmouth return to the scene of what was one of the greatest days in the club's history and, perhaps, the catalyst of its demise. Winning the FA Cup...