Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and chief organiser Satadru Dutta had asked Lionel Messi not to leave the Salt Lake Stadium so soon, but the latter’s team denied all requests after getting hints of
an impending security breach at the opening of the GOAT Tour in Kolkata on Saturday, December 13, according to a report in ABP Ananda.
Fans who had paid steep prices for tickets grew furious when the crowd blocked their view of Messi, sparking unrest in the gallery as bottles started flying.
By that time, Messi was getting ready to leave the field in an Audi, joined by his Argentina World Cup-winning teammate Rodrigo de Paul and his close friend, Uruguayan star Luis Suárez.
According to the report, Ganguly requested Messi to stay a little longer so that the people in the stadium could get an opportunity to see him. However, the latter’s team wasn’t willing to compromise on security.
Despite Ganguly’s request, Messi decided to leave the field, according to the report. It is also being said that the organiser, Shatadru Dutta, requested Messi to stay. Some officials from the administration were present as well, but considering the law-and-order situation, Messi’s team was unwilling to take the risk.
On Saturday morning, the Argentine football star spent 20 minutes on the field, surrounded by ministers, VIPs and aides, leaving spectators with little opportunity to see him.
How did chaos erupt at Salt Lake Stadium right under the police’s watch? Despite assurances from the Bidhannagar police, how did water bottles make it inside and how were tickets sold at 15 times their normal price? Many questions remain, but few answers.
However, while en route to Hyderabad, the main organiser, Shatadru Dutta, was arrested at Kolkata airport. After the Messi incident, he had announced on social media that all ticket prices would be refunded, but the post was later deleted.
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