A dream visit from Lionel Messi turned into a nightmare in Kolkata on Saturday. The Argentine legend visited the Salt Lake Stadium but had to be whisked away after security breaches by politicians. Fans were left aggrieved and turned violent, vandalising the stadium. Some protested outside Grand Hyatt, with police resorting to lathi charge to dismiss the crowd.
Lionel Messi’s brief visit to Kolkata descended into chaos as angry fans broke security protocols after failing to catch even a glimpse of the world’s most popular footballer during his blink-and-miss 22-minute appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday morning.
Fans travelled from all around the country to watch Messi live in the flesh. The tickets were not cheap either but they could only get a glimpse of the Argentine football legend. Aggrieved fans continued to throw bottles and even vandalise the stadium to an extent. Some even stormed the pitch in a case of gross mismanagement by the organisers.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who had arrived in Kolkata for the special event, along with former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, were unable to be part of the programme as the event was cut short amid the chaos.
Such was the situation that promoter Shatadru Datta, organiser of the ‘GOAT Tour’, along with security personnel, had to whisk Messi away as the Salt Lake Stadium turned into a scene of political one-upmanship, with supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress breaching security and entering the field of play.
Fans, who had paid between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000 for tickets to watch the Argentine star, hurled bottles and damaged fibreglass seats, forcing the police to intervene as they struggled to bring the situation under control.
(With PTI inputs)
