A high profile visit by Lionel Messi to India descended into chaos on Saturday after fans ripped out stadium seats, hurled objects onto the field, and breached security at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. The unrest followed the football star’s brief appearance at a ticketed event, prompting police to detain the chief organizer over alleged mismanagement.
Messi was scheduled to spend around 45 minutes at the venue but left after roughly 20 minutes, according to Reuters. Tickets for the event were priced well above average weekly earnings in India, leaving many fans frustrated after only catching a short glimpse of the Argentine star. As Messi exited, sections of the crowd reacted angrily, throwing broken chairs and other debris onto the pitch, while some spectators climbed fences surrounding the field.
West Bengal police confirmed that Satadru Dutta, the event’s main organizer, had been detained. Rajeev Kumar, director general of police in the state, said authorities were taking action to ensure accountability. He added that the organizer had agreed in writing that tickets sold for the event should be refunded. Organizers of the tour did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Fans who travelled long distances to attend the event expressed disappointment. One supporter told Reuters he had journeyed nearly 1,500 kilometres over two days, only to see the event unravel. He said the atmosphere felt unsafe and that Messi appeared to leave quickly because of the disorder in the stands.
The incident drew a swift response from state leadership. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly apologized to Messi and ordered a formal inquiry. In a statement posted on social media, she said she was disturbed by the mismanagement at the stadium and announced the formation of a committee to investigate what went wrong, assign responsibility, and recommend steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Messi is in India as part of a broader tour that includes concerts, youth football clinics, charitable initiatives, and sporting events across several cities including Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Earlier on Saturday, he also virtually unveiled a large statue of himself in Kolkata. The tour features appearances alongside teammates from Inter Miamiadding to the excitement surrounding the visit.
Salt Lake Stadium has previously seen episodes of crowd trouble, including a notorious incident during a local derby match in 2012. Despite India’s strong football culture in states like West Bengal, Kerala, and Goa, Saturday’s events highlighted ongoing challenges around crowd control and event management when global sports icons draw massive attention.
Comments are closed.