Reuters
—
Lionel Messi’s tour of India began in chaos on Saturday at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, with fans throwing objects, tearing up seats and invading the pitch as the Argentine soccer great made a brief appearance in the ticketed event.
West Bengal Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said the event’s chief organizer Satadul Dutta was detained by police.
Messi was scheduled to be at the stadium for 45 minutes, but played for just 20 minutes. Ticket prices for the event started at about 3,500 rupees (about $38.65), more than half the average weekly income in India, but one fan said he paid $130.
At Salt Lake Stadium in the capital of the eastern state of West Bengal, fans threw torn seats and other objects onto the field, and several people climbed the fence around the field and threw objects.
“I can’t believe there was such gross mismanagement,” said Edi Lal Mangaizara, who traveled nearly 1,500 kilometers from Mizoram over two days to attend the event.
“Messi left immediately. I think he felt in danger. I could hardly see him,” he told Reuters.
Tour organizers did not respond to requests for comment.
“We have already detained the main organizers,” Rajeev Kumar told reporters. “We are taking action to ensure this mismanagement goes unpunished.
“He has already promised in writing that tickets sold for the event should be refunded,” he added.
Messi is in India as part of his tour, where he will take part in concerts, youth soccer clinics and padel tournaments, as well as launch charity drives at events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologized to Messi and ordered an investigation into the incident.
“I am extremely upset and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed at Salt Lake Stadium today,” Banerjee, who was on her way to the event when the chaos erupted, posted on X.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi and to all sports lovers and his fans for the unfortunate incident,” she said.
She said a committee was being established to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident, assign responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
The states of West Bengal, Kerala, and Goa have long had large numbers of soccer fans in India, where cricket is popular.
There have been multiple incidents of fan violence at the Salt Lake Stadium, including the 2012 Kolkata derby match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, which was canceled after a player was seriously injured by a brick thrown from the stands.
Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona has visited Kolkata twice, unveiling a statue of himself hosting the World Cup there in 2017 in front of thousands of fans.
Messi, who captained Argentina for the first time in a 1-0 friendly win over Venezuela at Salt Lake Stadium in 2011, virtually unveiled a 70-foot-tall statue of himself in Kolkata early Saturday.
