Hyderabad, December 13: Amid concerns following the reports of chaos during the Kolkata leg of the GOAT India Tour 2025, authorities in Hyderabad have assured fans that Lionel Messi's appearance in the city will be conducted smoothly and in an orderly manner. SAT Chairman Shiva Sena Reddy said that all necessary arrangements have been put in place to avoid any untoward incidents.
Speaking to PTI, Reddy said that a short 20-minute friendly match is scheduled between Messi and the CM's XI, after which the football icon will conduct a football clinic for young players. Referring to the situation in Kolkata earlier in the day, he assured fans that similar scenes would not be repeated in Hyderabad.
He said, "Today there will be a small 20-minute friendly game between Messi and CM's XIs. It will be followed by Messi holding a football clinic for young players. I would like to assure that what happened in Kolkata earlier in the day will not happen here in Hyderabad, we have enough police force deployed to manage things and a small request to the fans that they should also be calm."
The assurance comes as thousands of fans gathered at the Uppal Stadium to witness Messi's much-awaited appearance. With heightened security and crowd management measures in place, officials remain confident that the Hyderabad leg of the GOAT India Tour 2025 will proceed without disruptions.
