Fans rage as Messi's event in Kolkata stadium ends in 5 minutes | Watch

Football legend Lionel Messi’s four-day tour of India kicked off in Kolkata today. However, the start of his tour went completely differently from what anyone could have imagined. While Messi was supposed to arrive at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium at 12 pm IST and have a felicitation ceremony along with a friendly match, he arrived at the stadium early, at 11:15 am IST, and left the venue in less than five minutes, sending fans present at the stadium into a fit of rage. Fans complained that the Argentina star left the venue without even taking a full lap of the stadium.

Fans vandalise stadium

Angered by Messi’s five-minute show at the Salt Lake Stadium, fans vandalised the stadium after he left. They threw bottles and belts inside the stadium while also damaging chairs. They complained that in spite of paying hefty sums of money for the tickets, they could not even catch a glimpse of the player. Some fans even called the incident an absolute disgrace.

 

Check the full video of angry fans after Messi’s visit to Salt Lake Stadium:

 

What was the original plan for the Kolkata leg of Messi’s tour

According to the original plan for the Kolkata leg of his India tour, Lionel Messi was scheduled to attend a VIP meet-and-greet, virtually inaugurate his statue, and make a brief on-field appearance at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium). The itinerary also included a felicitation ceremony and fan interaction at the stadium, with the presence of key dignitaries, before his departure for the next leg of the tour later in the day. 

Bengal CM apologises after incident, orders enquiry

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed deep shock and concern over the mismanagement witnessed at Salt Lake Stadium during an event that attracted thousands of fans eager to catch a glimpse of football icon Lionel Messi. The chief minister said she was on her way to the venue along with a large number of sports lovers when the incident unfolded, terming the situation disturbing and unfortunate.

 

Banerjee issued an apology to Lionel Messi as well as to sports lovers and fans who were inconvenienced due to the lapses in arrangements. She acknowledged that the experience did not meet the standards expected for an event of such scale and importance.

 

The chief minister announced the constitution of an enquiry committee headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray. The panel will also include the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department as members. She said the committee would conduct a detailed investigation into the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

 

Reiterating her apology, Banerjee said the state government remains committed to promoting sports and ensuring better planning, coordination and crowd management for major sporting events going forward.