KOLKATA – Chaos broke out at the Salt Lake Stadium in the Indian city of Kolkata during the visit of world-renowned footballer Lionel Messi, as poor arrangements and mismanagement triggered unrest among fans.
The Indian media reported that disorganized planning and inadequate crowd management left spectators frustrated, leading to incidents of vandalism inside the stadium.
Fans expressed anger over what they described as a badly managed event.
Reports said Messi remained at the stadium for only around 10 minutes, which further disappointed fans who had gathered in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the football icon.
Speaking to the media, one fan described the event as “extremely poorly organized,” saying that Messi was surrounded by political leaders and ministers, preventing ordinary spectators from even seeing him.
The fan added that Messi did not play any exhibition football upon his arrival, while claims by the organizers about the appearance of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan also failed to materialize.
Angry supporters complained that their time, money, and emotions had been wasted due to the organizers’ failure to deliver what was promised.
Following the incident, state authorities issued a formal apology to Lionel Messi and his fans, announcing the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
The committee will be headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Roy and will include the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs). It will conduct a comprehensive inquiry, fix responsibility, and present recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Authorities once again apologized to sports fans for the inconvenience caused.
Later, police also used force to disperse a crowd that had gathered outside the hotel where Messi was staying. Sources said a large number of fans had assembled outside the hotel to catch a glimpse of the football star, creating a tense security situation.
Police officials said a minor baton charge and other measures were necessary to control the crowd and maintain law and order.
