Fans were enraged by Messi’s early return, causing chaos in the stadium
Messi’s sudden departure from Salt Lake Stadium incited fans to rage. Bottles and chairs were thrown in anger, and spectators returned disappointed despite expensive tickets.
There was chaos at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday evening when Argentine football legend Lionel Messi left the ground before his scheduled time. Thousands of fans present in the stadium, who had been waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of their icon, were enraged by this sudden turn of events. As a result, incidents of water bottles, chairs, and other objects being thrown around the stadium erupted. The atmosphere changed from jubilation to outrage in a matter of minutes.
Messi is currently in India on his three-day Got India Tour and his first stop was Kolkata. He arrived at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 3 am on Thursday morning, where he was enthusiastically welcomed by thousands of fans present there. A huge crowd of fans was seen from the airport to the hotel. Everyone was eager to catch a glimpse of their superstar amidst chants of Messi-Messi. After reaching the hotel, Messi unveiled his 70 feet tall statue installed in the Lake City area of Kolkata. Here he spent time with many special guests and after that met Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan and RPGS Group owner Sanjeev Goenka. These interactions have raised hopes among fans that Messi will offer something special at the Salt Lake Stadium that evening—perhaps a small performance or interaction with fans.
But when Messi arrived at the stadium, the atmosphere was completely different from what was expected. Thousands of fans gathered in the ground were eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of him. Messi reached the field and greeted the spectators by waving his hand, but within a few minutes the security cordon around him increased and suddenly he left the place without making any performance or continuing the program. It is said that many people started coming towards him, after which, for security reasons, it was decided to take him out immediately.
Messi’s sudden departure disrupted the atmosphere.
The stadium suddenly became noisy as Messi left the field. Many fans entered the middle of the field, causing chaos. Angry fans began throwing stadium chairs. Water bottles flew through the air, and soon, chaos erupted in several parts of the stadium. Security personnel struggled to control the crowd.
A long-time Messi fan, reportedly a die-hard supporter, expressed his disappointment to the media, saying, “It was absolutely disappointing. He only came for 10 minutes. Politicians and ministers surrounded him, and we couldn’t see anything. He didn’t kick a single kick or take a single penalty. Our time, money, and emotions were all wasted.”
On the other hand, another spectator said that he had bought a ticket worth Rs 12 thousand to see Messi, but he could not even see his face clearly. He said, “If we weren’t going to be featured, why were we invited? There were only politicians and big names everywhere. The ordinary fans, who give their lives for Messi, got nothing.”
Following these allegations, questions are being raised about the organizing committee. Many fans believe the event was poorly managed and was held solely for VIP guests. The organizers say that Messi had to leave early due to security reasons and his intention was not to disappoint the fans.
However, even after the event, videos continued to surface on social media in which fans could be seen breaking chairs and throwing water bottles. From Twitter to Instagram, the first day of Messi’s India tour has become the centre of fans’ anger.
Thousands of tickets were sold, yet no glimpse was seen.
A major reason for fans’ displeasure with the event was the high ticket prices. According to fans, tickets for the event were sold for anywhere from ₹5,000 to ₹45,000. A large number of fans purchased tickets, putting a heavy burden on their pockets, hoping to get a close-up look at football legend Lionel Messi. But when despite spending thousands of rupees, the fans did not get even a glimpse of Messi from a distance, their anger erupted. Many spectators expressed their disappointment, complaining that despite purchasing such expensive tickets, they were met with chaos, crowds, and disappointment. This anger gradually escalated into a riot, and the stadium was in chaos.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologizes
Following the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly apologized for the incident. She shared a post on social media, writing, “I am deeply saddened and shocked by the chaos that occurred at the Salt Lake Stadium today. I was on my way to the stadium to join the event with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer Lionel Messi.”
Mamata Banerjee further stated that the incident was unfortunate and that she sincerely apologized not only to sports fans but also to Lionel Messi. She wrote, “I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports fans and his fans, for this unfortunate incident.”
Announcement of the formation of an investigation committee
Given the seriousness of the matter, the Chief Minister has ordered an investigation. He stated that a high-level inquiry committee is being formed under the chairmanship of Justice (Retired) Asim Kumar Ray. The Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs Department) of the state have been included as members in this committee.
Mamata Banerjee said that this committee will conduct a detailed investigation into the entire incident, identify those responsible and give necessary suggestions to prevent such incidents in the future. At the end of the post, he once again apologized to the sports lovers and said that the state government is taking this incident very seriously.
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