Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour India has started in a chaotic fashion as Kolkata's elation turned to anger on Saturday (December 13).
The fans inside Salt Lake Stadium had minimal glimpse of Messi and the Argentine's early departure led to a huge uproar from the crowd, who vandalized the entire stadium.
A moment of joy took a wrong turn due to mismanagement inside the Salt Lake Stadium. Fans who waited for hours and paid thousands to witness Messi were left baffled as the football icon was completely serenaded by political personnel, club members and others, thus making it impossible to watch him from the stands.
After about 20 minutes inside the stadium, Messi decided to leave and the organizers had to oblize. As Messi was heading for a sudden exit,
the fans were astonished. Many were left stunned and soon started to protest by throwing water bottles. The fan uproar escalated soon, as they started uprooting the bucket seats and threw it inside the stadium.
Soon after, it got worse. Fans opened up the fencing and entered the stadium. Thousands of them took over the Yuba Bharati pitch and started vanfalizing. The temporary seating canopies were dismantled and the stage was ripped. A sofa at the seating area was lit on fire. Police were mostly a mere spectator at first, but tried to gain the control with rapid lathi-charge, trying to disperse the crowd.
The fans vented their anger on the organizer Satadru Dutta and demanded a refund, while some wanted to see Satadru behind the bars. The fans were extremely disgusted with minister Arup Biswas as well, who was seen in close cahoots with Messi, laughing and posing for photographs. The sea of people around the short-statured Messi made it impossible for the fans at the stands, thus leading to the unrest.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has since apologized to Messi and has ensured investigation on this matter. The political battle has also started between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, who have tried to blame it on each other.
Will Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour Continue?
The mismanagement in Kolkata remains a baffling one, but it has indeed been a sorry state which has completely put Kolkata in shambles in front of the world.
But amid the chaos and the huge unrest at the city of Joy, there is no question that the tour will continue. Lionel Messi is set to leave Kolkata at about 2:30 PM today and along with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, he will be travelling to Hyderabad, where the next part of this tour unfolds.
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