'Messi came for 10 mins': What went wrong at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium that left fans fuming
Fans were all set to welcome the weekend in style, having purchased tickets at hefty prices of up to ₹18,000 each just to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi.
What was meant to be a dream day for Lionel Messi’s fans in West Bengal turned into one of utter chaos and disappointment as the football legend ended his visit in Kolkata far sooner than expected on Saturday.
Fans were all set to welcome the weekend in style, having purchased tickets at exorbitant prices of up to ₹18,000 each just to see their favourite footballer in person at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
To their disappointment, chaos ensued shortly after Messi's arrival at the stadium.
Bottles and chairs thrown by angry fans
Lionel Messi's blink-and-miss 22-minute appearance left fans fuming, who resorted to vandalism at the stadium and threw bottles and chairs from the stands. They broke barricades to storm the ground that was refurbished for the 2017 under-17 World Cup.
Messi, who is in India for his GOAT India Tour, kickstarted the visit from Kolkata and arrived in the city to a huge fan turnout at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 2.26 am.
Messi was supposed to attend a grand felicitation ceremony expected to be attended by teammates, and by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former India cricket and former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
However, none of that happened as the event was cut short amid the chaos.
Did leaders hog Messi's time?
Most of the football legend's fans accused leaders and ministers surrounding Messi and hogging his time, leaving fans who paid hefty amounts for the event still waiting.
“Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi...Why did they call us then... We have got a ticket for 12 thousand, but we were not even able to see his face...,” an angry fan told news agency ANI.
Among people who accompanied Messi when he entered the stadium at 11:30 am were Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas, Mohun Bagan president Debasish Dutta and general secretary Srinjoy Biswas, according to a HT report.
"Absolutely terrible event. He came for just 10 minutes," one of Messi's fans was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. “He didn't take a single kick or a single penalty. He came for 10 minutes and left. So much money, emotions, and time wasted. We couldn't see anything...,” the fan said further.
Refund demand grows as event goes wrong
Fans are now demanding refunds for the tickets they bought to catch a glimpse of Argentine star. They were priced between ₹4,000 and ₹18,000 each.
“Here, a glass of cold drink costs ₹150–200, yet we couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Messi. People have spent a month’s salary to see him. I paid ₹5,000 for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame. There wasn’t even drinking water available,” an angry fan, Ajay Shah, told news agency PTI.
Another fan called the event a “scam” for people and demanded accountability.
Mamata Banerjee ‘shocked’ by mismanagement
Shortly after the big chaos at the Kolkata stadium's event and Messi's departure, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee issued a statement, apologising to Lionel Messi.
“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi. I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet.
She also said that an enquiry committee was being formed which will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident and fix accountability.
