Kolkata, Dec 13: What was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime football spectacle for Kolkata plunged into chaos on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of Argentine icon Lionel Messi, despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi’s much-hyped visit to the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, his first appearance at the venue since 2011, turned into a disorderly affair marked by crowd breaches, vandalism and frantic police intervention, casting a shadow over an event billed as a celebration of one of football’s greatest global stars.
The police had to baton-charge to disperse the crowd on the field.
The World Cup-winning captain arrived at the stadium around 11.30 am, accompanied by long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentine teammate Rodrigo De Paul.
His vehicle was parked near the touchline and, as soon as he stepped onto the field, he was engulfed by a crush of VIPs, organisers, celebrities and security personnel, leaving ordinary spectators in the galleries straining for a view.
Messi walked a short distance on the field and waved briefly towards the stands as chants of “Messi, Messi” echoed across the stadium.
Fans, however, soon realised that the footballer remained tightly ring-fenced by security and invited guests, making him barely visible from large sections of the galleries. Many complained that even the giant screens failed to offer a clear view.
Frustration mounted rapidly. Chants of “We want Messi” grew louder as it became evident that the Argentine star would not complete the full lap of the stadium that had been part of the original programme.
Instead, Messi turned back midway and was escorted out well before the scheduled end of his appearance.
As word spread that Messi had left the field prematurely, anger spilt over.
Bottles began flying from the galleries onto the pitch, followed by plastic chairs. Sponsor banners and hoardings were torn down, fibreglass seats smashed, and sections of the crowd attempted to rip open barricades to force their way onto the field.
Amid the growing unrest, sections of the crowd raised slogans demanding the arrest of state Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and event organiser Shatadru Datta, holding them responsible for what they alleged was gross mismanagement of the high-profile event, eyewitnesses said.
They also said the situation worsened when organisers, including promoter Shatadru Datta and his team, were no longer visible on the ground soon after Messi’s exit.
Repeated announcements over the public address system asking unauthorised persons to leave the field went largely unheeded, even as angry fans continued shouting slogans against the organisers and the state sports department.
Within minutes, hundreds of spectators spilt onto the pitch, pulling down temporary tents and damaging equipment placed near the boundary line.
Police personnel struggled to contain the surging crowd, prompting the deployment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) inside the stadium.
“This was complete mismanagement,” said Ajay Shah, a disgruntled fan who had come with his son.
“People have spent a month’s salary to see Messi. I paid Rs 5,000 for a ticket. We came to watch Messi, not politicians. There was no drinking water, and even the police were busy taking selfies,” he said.
Ticket prices for the event ranged between Rs 4,500 and Rs 10,000, with many fans arriving early in the morning in the hope of witnessing the football legend up close.
The chaos also forced the abrupt curtailment of the programme, with several invited dignitaries, including Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, unable to participate as planned.
Police sources said the situation did not fully spiral out of control, only because Messi was removed from the stadium earlier than scheduled, and additional security forces were rushed in.
For a city that prides itself on its deep footballing culture, the scenes of broken chairs, ripped banners, and angry fans told a grim story.
What was billed as a red-letter day for the “City of Joy” ultimately ended as a cautionary tale, with less of Messi and more of mayhem at one of India’s largest football arenas. (PTI)
