The visit of Argentina's football star Lionel Messi to Kolkata, India, was marked by unexpected disturbances. According to a report by the German publication Bild, the world champion's brief stay at the stadium caused significant discontent among many fans.
According to sources, Messi appeared on the field for only about 20 minutes, mainly interacting with officials, politicians, and VIP guests. Fans, who deemed this unfair, disrupted the order in the stadium by throwing plastic chairs onto the field, with some attempting to breach the security barriers.
One of the discontented spectators told India's ANI news agency:
“We paid 12,000 rupees (approximately 115 euros), but we couldn’t even get a close look at his face.”
Following the incident, authorities in the state of West Bengal announced a special investigation. Officials emphasized the need for a thorough review of organizational shortcomings to ensure similar occurrences do not happen again.
For reference, the 38-year-old Lionel Messi is currently on a tour across India, where he is scheduled to participate in various cultural, charitable, and sports events in cities including Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, in addition to Kolkata.
West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee officially apologized to both Messi and the fans for the unpleasant incident. She also announced the creation of a special investigative committee to examine the event in detail.
This incident highlighted once again the importance of careful planning for the participation of football stars in large public events.
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