The Lionel Messi GOAT India tour was derailed on the very first day itself. The legendary Argentine forward arrived in Kolkata to begin his tour of India, but due to the fans not being able to see him on the ground, chaos erupted at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Fans began to throw bottles at the police officials and vandalised the stadium after Messi had to leave early due to the chaos. The organiser of the event, Satandru Dutta, was arrested by the police while he was en route to Hyderabad. According to the officials, the fans will be refunded for the tickets after Messi’s tour in Kolkata ended early.
With the chaos erupting, the AIFF (All India Football Federation) took to social media and asked the fans to cooperate and expressed their concern for the situation in Kolkata as well.
“The All India Football Federation is deeply concerned by the events that transpired at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, where thousands of fans gathered to witness world football stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo de Paul," the AIFF stated.
“This was a private event organised by a PR agency. The AIFF was not involved in its organistation, planning, or execution of this event in any capacity. Furthermore, the details of the event were neither communicated to the AIFF, nor was any clearance sought from the Federation. We urge all attendees to extend their full cooperation with the relevant authorities to maintain order,” the statement added.
Messi set to continue his tour in Hyderabad
After the chaos in Kolkata, Lionel Messi is all set to continue his India tour by visiting Hyderabad. He left for Hyderabad directly from Kolkata, where he will arrive at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and even participate in a friendly game.
