Khaberni - Lionel Messi’s admirers, who initiated a rare promotional tour in India, vandalized a stadium in Kolkata on Saturday, after the Argentine star's departure.
During his visit, which continues until Monday, the 38-year-old player, beloved by fans in India where football is not widely popular, was warmly welcomed upon his arrival on Saturday morning in the state of West Bengal by enthusiastic fans chanting his name.
A few hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys gathered at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, but they were frustrated by the tight security measures that made it nearly impossible to get a close look at the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star.
According to local media, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion made a quick tour around the pitch to greet the fans and then left directly, although he was scheduled to play for a few minutes.
The fans' frustration exploded after many of them had paid more than 100 dollars, equivalent to "a month's salary" for some, leading them to throw broken seats and water bottles onto the pitch before storming the field.
Businessman Nabin Chaterjee (37 years old) told AFP, "Seeing Messi was a dream, but I didn’t have the chance to see him due to poor organization at the stadium."
Ajay Shah expressed his anger, as reported by the Indian news agency "PTI": "I came with my son to see Messi, not the politicians," noting that he could not see the Inter Miami star, while police and military assigned to protect him were "taking selfies with him."
Shah blamed the "organization," which was confirmed by authorities as Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, expressed her "shock" at the poor organization.
Banerjee wrote on her X account: "I offer my sincere apologies to Lionel Messi and all sports fans and his admirers for this unfortunate incident," announcing an investigation into what happened.
Before his arrival at the Salt Lake Stadium, a huge statue of Messi (21 meters tall) holding the World Cup was unveiled in the city, and the Argentine star is scheduled to continue his tour in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
