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France vs Germany semis mark Champions League power shift
(Franck Fife/Pool Photo via AP)LISBON Emmanuel Macron was quick to appropriate France's unexpected Champions League prowess for political purposes. It has never happened before: two French teams in the Champions League semifinals after two nights of incredible results in Lisbon. You have to go back even longer to find a Champions League semifinals that didn't feature Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. With Pep Guardiola twice a Champions League winner as Barcelona coach outwitted by Lyon's Rudi Garcia, the last of the managerial heavyweights exited this mini-tournament. Diego Simeone, who has lost two Champions League finals with Atletico Madrid, was dumped out by Leipzig on Wednesday.
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Refereeing criticism increases as Madrid nears Spanish title
Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, right, scores the opening goal from a penalty shoot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)MADRID The closer Real Madrid gets to the Spanish league title, the stronger the accusations it is benefiting from the referees. Im tired of always talking about the same thing, Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said after the 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Real Madrid and its players deserve respect.The victory kept Madrid as the only team with a perfect record since the restart. When asked if Madrid was in the lead only thanks to VAR, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu didn't do much to dismiss the insinuation.