HIBAPRESS
The visit of the Argentinian star Lionel Messi to the Indian city of Kolkata turned into a chaotic scene, after he left the "Salt Lake" stadium in less than 20 minutes, amidst the anger of the fans who threw bottles and chairs in protest against what they described as "poor organization."
Messi's Arrival and G.O.A.T Tour
Messi, accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, arrived in Kolkata on Saturday morning as part of his tour titled G.O.A.T Tour of India 2025, amid a massive public reception in the city's streets.
It was supposed to be that the event would last for about two hours at the Salt Lake stadium, during which Messi would walk around the stadium grounds and meet a number of prominent figures, including Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, cricket legend Sourav Ganguly, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Fans' Anger Due to Poor Organization
However, the event plan was not implemented, as Messi remained surrounded by a large number of officials and politicians, which made it impossible for the fans to see him clearly.
As the minutes passed without any real interaction with the audience, anger escalated, and boos began, before some fans resorted to throwing water bottles and chairs from the stands.
One fan said: "It was a very bad experience. Messi came for only 10 minutes, and we didn't see him well. We paid a lot of money for the tickets, and we didn't see anything. He didn't shoot a single ball and didn't take a penalty. Everything was a waste of time and feelings."
Another added: "Messi was surrounded by politicians and actors only. We paid 12,000 rupees for the ticket, and we couldn't even see his face."
Messi's Early Departure and Official Apology
With the chaos escalating, the security authorities decided to shorten Messi's tour inside the stadium, and he was quickly taken out, ending his appearance after only about 20 minutes.
In the wake of the events, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a public apology to Messi and his fans, expressing her shock at the poor organization.
Banerjee said in a statement: "I am deeply upset and shocked by the poor organization we witnessed today at the Salt Lake stadium. I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi and all sports fans and his fans for what happened," announcing the formation of an investigation committee to find out the reasons for what happened.
Embarrassing Start to the "Greatest of All Time" Tour
While Messi is preparing to continue his tour in India with a visit to the city of Hyderabad, where he is scheduled to participate in a show match, the Kolkata stop was an embarrassing start to the tour, after it turned from an expected celebration of the football legend into an event characterized by chaos and disappointment for thousands of fans.
