Lionel Messi’s visit to a stadium in Calcutta, India, this Saturday (13), ended with the player’s early departure and confusion, with spectators denouncing fraud on the part of the organizers of the event, whose boss was arrested by the police.
Traveling to the Asian giant until Monday (15), the 38-year-old player, idolized in India, was received this Saturday in style upon his arrival at the West Bengal stadium by excited supporters who shouted his name and wore the jersey of the Argentine national team.
At the Salt Lake Stadium in the eastern city of Kolkata, expectations turned to frustration, with those in attendance feeling cheated by the brevity of the event.
According to local media, the world champion walked around the field to greet the crowd, then immediately left the stadium, even though he was scheduled to play an exhibition match.
Dissatisfied, some fans, many of whom had paid more than $100 (R$540) for the event, tore up the seats and threw them on the lawn, along with bottles of water. There were some who invaded the playing field.
“Seeing Messi was a dream. But I didn’t have the opportunity to see him because of the disorganization in the stadium,” 37-year-old businessman Nabin Chatterjee lamented to AFP.
“I came with my son to see Messi, not politicians,” fumes Ajay Shah, quoted by the Indian news agency PTI. According to him, while he was unable to see the star, the police and soldiers responsible for his security “took selfies” with the player.
The head of an organization arrested
The authorities point the finger at the organization of the event. The head of government of the state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, declared herself “shocked” by the poor organization.
“I send my sincere apologies to Lionel Messi and all sports fans and fans for this unfortunate incident,” Banerjee wrote on her X account, adding that she had launched an investigation.
A state police official, Javed Shamim, announced that “the leader of the organization” had been arrested. He gave no further details, but added that authorities would examine how organizers could refund event tickets.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued a statement emphasizing that it was not involved in the “organization, planning or execution of the private event.”
“Furthermore, details of the event were not communicated to the AIFF and no permission was sought from the federation,” he added.
Before his arrival at the Salt Lake stadium, a huge 21 meter statue of Messi lifting the World Cup was inaugurated in the city of Kolkata.
The Argentina national team captain, accompanied by his Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suárez, is expected to continue his tour to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
The press reports a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in the Indian capital.
Messi is participating in this GOAT Tour after winning the North American League (MLS) for the first time with Inter Miami last Saturday and renewing his trophy for best player (MVP) of the competition.
“India is a nation that loves football and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful sport,” Messi said in a statement ahead of his visit.
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