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'A month's salary for ticket': How hell broke loose at Kolkata Messi event, forcing his 20-min exit | Videos
Messi's faced chaos in Kolkata as fans broke barricades, demanding closer access. After a brief appearance, Messi left Salt Lake Stadium abruptly.
What was promoted as a celebration of footballing greatness descended from a historic occasion to a chaotic event in West Bengal's Kolkata as thousands turned up for living football legend Lionel Messi's India tour that kickstarted on Saturday with the first pitstop at the Salt Lake Stadium.
The chaos at the event forced the Argentina captain and World Cup winner to leave the venue within 20 minutes of his arrival. Updates from Day 1 of Messi's India tour here
Angry fans broke barricades, stormed the pitch, and vandalised tents at the Salt Lake Stadium after footballer Messi, who is on a three-day tour of the country, abruptly left the arena amid the overwhelming scenes that were attributed to fans - who bought tickets for thousands to see the sportsman - not getting a clear view of the 38-year old. Courtesy: the encircling by “politicians”.
What happened at Kolkata Messi event
-Messi lands in Kolkata: Footballer Lionel Messi landed in the early hours of Saturday in West Bengal's Kolkata for his India tour to a sea of fans. Before the chaos erupted, Messi unveiled a 21-metre (70-foot) statue - which shows him holding aloft the World Cup - at Lake Town along with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.
-The beginning of chaos: In scenes evoking memories of the infamous 1996 World Cup semi-final at the iconic Eden Gardens, frustration spilled over in the stands as water bottles and other objects were flung onto the pitch. Fans, desperate for a glimpse of the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Times), broke through barricades and surged onto the field, overwhelming security arrangements.
-'People paid month's salary not to see politicians': “This was complete mismanagement,” PTI news agency quoted Ajay Shah, a football enthusiast, who had come with his son after having spent thousands - what he described as some people's “month's salary” to see the sports legend. “People have spent a month’s salary to see Messi. I paid ₹5,000 for a ticket. We came to watch Messi, not politicians,” Shah was quoted as saying. Ticket prices for the event ranged between ₹4,500 and nearly ₹20,000, with many fans arriving early in the morning in the hope of seeing the football legend up close.
Also Read | Lionel Messi upset with mismanagement in Kolkata’s Salt Lake stadium, Sourav Ganguly wanted him to ‘stay longer’: Report
-Chairs ripped at event with ticket prices up to ₹20k: Police struggled to regain control as chairs were ripped out and hurled, and sections of the stadium suffered extensive damage. Many in the crowd had paid anywhere between ₹4,000 and ₹18,000 for tickets to see Messi. What mainly sparked the anger was a restricted view of the football star at the venue refurbished for the 2017 Under-17 World Cup.
Access to Messi restricted, crowd gets furious: The crowd's anger was focused on a small group of officials and organisers who surrounded Messi, along with two other Argentinian players, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, when they arrived around 11.30 am. Fans, several of whom had reached the stadium hours earlier clad in Argentina, Barcelona and Inter Miami colours, reportedly grew furious as access to the star became increasingly restricted. Fans claimed actors and politicians surrounded Messi.
-Messi encircled by people on pitch: As chants of "Messi, Messi" filled the air around the ground and a white SUV with a sunroof rolled onto the athletics track, the first signs of chaos became evident. Messi was immediately encircled by people with on-pitch, prompting repeated appeals from the tour organiser, Satadru Dutta, who was later detained. A PTI report described Messi as confused and bemused, gamely signing autographs for former players while attempting a slow circuit of the ground. The situation only worsened.
What organiser told people: "People have paid a lot of money to come and see Messi," an earlier HT report quoted Dutta as saying in Bangla on the stadium's public address system. His appeals, however, went unheeded as the rush to get close to the football icon - and capture a selfie - intensified. For most spectators, Messi was visible only on the giant screen. "Messi will leave the stadium if people around him are not cleared," Satadru Dutta was heard saying. Once again, the warning failed to have any effect.
How Messi's Kolkata event concluded: Messi briefly met former Kolkata club players assembled for a friendly match scheduled as part of the programme. He waved to the crowd as the stadium erupted, but the atmosphere quickly soured. Wherever the Argentine moved, he was surrounded by people, who many claimed were mostly politicians belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Amid the confusion, state sports minister Aroop Biswas posed for photographs, while Mohun Bagan officials Debasish Dutta and Srinjoy Biswas handed Messi a club jersey. CM Mamata Banerjee took to X and said she was “deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium”.
Messi in Hyderabad: As boos rippled through the stands. Moments later, Messi departed the stadium. Messi later landed in Hyderabad, where he was welcomed by Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy. Messi's itinerary in Hyderabad included a 7v7 exhibition football match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where Telangana CM Revanth Reddy was expected to join him on the field, according to ANI news agency. The evening was to conclude with a grand musical event celebrating Messi's illustrious career. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also in Hyderabad.
