Argentine legend, Carlos Tevez has explained why his former teammate Lionel Messi did not go back to Barcelona following the expiration of his contract at PSG. Messi is Barcelona’s and perhaps the game’s greatest player of all time, with his 672 goals and 303 assists from 778 appearances all club records at Camp Nou. 
Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez on international duty for Argentina. Source: Getty A seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and, since December, a World Cup winner with Argentina, Messi was the most valuable player on the free transfer market this summer, with Al-Hilal also willing to offer him €400 million a year to move to Saudi Arabia. He however turned down Al-Hilal and Barcelona to join MLS club, Inter Miami which is co-owned by England legend, David Beckham. Speaking to ESPN, Tevez said Messi did not join Barcelona because he doesn’t want to be seen as the “bad guy”. He noted that financial issues at the Spanish club would have required others to take a pay cut or move on for an agreement with Messi to be reached. He said; “It seems to me that Leo took the decision knowing and understanding his own situation. He didn’t want to go back to Barcelona and have his team-mates lower their salaries and be the bad guy again. It hurt him more than anyone not being able to return to Barcelona, which is his home. 
Lionel Messi at a Barcelona FC press conference. Source: Getty “I think it was all very lukewarm on Barcelona’s part. Leo opted for the league in the United States. He likes Miami, it’s a tranquillity for him and his family. I think what he did was the right thing to do. If it wasn’t Barcelona, where he knew he was going to be the centre of attraction again, it was nothing in Europe. The decision was very well made.” Messi has agreed an initial two-and-a-half-year deal with Inter Miami and is expected to link up with the David Beckham co-owned franchise in early July, as he is currently on international duty with Argentina ahead of their friendly dates with Australia and Indonesia. Barca have been told by La Liga to reduce their debt by €200m this summer if they want to defend their title next term, and Messi’s acquisition would have reportedly required the entire staff; from players to dinner ladies agreeing to a salary reduction.
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar The officials testified before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja that they were hired as Ad-hoc staff for the general elections. They further told the court that as Presiding Officers, they conducted the presidential election at their various polling units and subsequently handed the results to the Ward Collation Officers, saying that they were warned not to give copies of the results to any agent of a political party that failed to sign the result sheet. Recall that President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress, APC had opposed the decision of the petitioners to produce five ad-hoc staff members of the electoral body that participated in the conduct of the presidential election, to testify as witnesses before the court. However, despite the objections, Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the court, gave the former Vice President, Atiku, the nod to produce the five witnesses. The court said it would reserve its ruling on the objections and deliver the same at a later date. Whereas two of the witnesses testified on Thursday, the remaining two gave their evidence on Friday. 
The 34-year-old who retired from professional football on March 22 having enjoyed a career at the highest level for over 15 years, said Jose Mourinho’s behaviour and treatment towards him made him chose Real Madrid over Barcelona. Ozil said the Portuguese manager treated him like a star, while the then-Barca boss, Pep Guardiola did not even make an effort to meet him. He told Marca; 
“It was a decision between Real Madrid and Barcelona. And in the end it was not a case of money. I don’t know if this is known, but I visited Madrid and Barcelona at that time and the difference was Jose Mourinho. Mou gave me a VIP visit to Real Madrid. He took me to see the stadium and all the trophies they had won. That gave me goosebumps. “The visit in Barcelona was less enthusiastic and what was more disappointing is that Pep Guardiola didn’t bother to meet me. Before that trip, I really liked Barcelona’s style of football and I could really imagine playing with them, but Madrid went all out. So Jose Mourinho was without a doubt the most important factor in my decision. After my visits, my decision was one hundred percent clear: I wanted to be a Madridista.” 
The £89 million signing was an unused substitute during wins against Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund. Potter who has now laid out a new plan, has now pushed Raheem Sterling into filling up the wide position. 
Addressing a press conference ahead of a Premier League match against Leicester today, March 11, the Chelsea Coach stated that while Murdryk is yet to be used, he is still part of his plan. He said; “Sometimes you need training time and a breather. It’s not a straight road where everything happens in a linear way. Sometimes you need to take a step away. It’s not easy to arrive in what was a pre-season for him in a new country, new league and new club and just hit his maximum level. The fee doesn’t change that. We’re positive about his future and we just need to help him settle in.” 
