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Lionel Messi was forced to finish his stadium tour early in India on Saturday as furious supporters hurled bottles and chairs onto the pitch.
Spectators had paid as much as 25,000 rupees (£206) to look at Messi do a lap of honour across the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata alongside his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.
Nevertheless, Messi was surrounded by VIPs on the pitch, meaning that fans within the stands were unable to catch a glimpse of Argentina’s World Cup winner.
On account of concerns over Messi’s safety, the lap was cut short by his security team and organisers and the 38-year-old was whisked away after just ten minutes.
A whole lot of fans began to tear out chairs and hurl them towards the pitch, while one other group vandalised the canopies arrange for the lap of honour. Riot police were then called in to disperse the pitch invaders .
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‘Seeing the utter chaos, the management, the authorities, it was absolutely rubbish,’ a supporter contained in the stadium told Indian broadcaster ANI.
‘All of the people you see here love football. All of us desired to see Messi, but it surely was a complete scam. We would like our a reimbursement, the management was so bad.
‘It’s a black day for Kolkata. Kolkata is understood for football, and we love football, we love Argentina, but this experience is completely a scam. The ministers were there with their children, and the opposite people couldn’t see anything, we’re very hurt.’
One other fan told ANI: ‘We’re very disenchanted.
‘My child was very excited to see Messi… I feel it’s a scam for the people. When Messi arrived, everyone surrounded him.’
West Bengal Police subsequently confirmed that the principal organiser of the event had been arrested.
‘We have now already detained the principal organiser. We’re taking motion to make sure this mismanagement doesn’t go unpunished,’ said Rajeev Kumar, the West Bengal Director General of Police.
‘There was some form of anger or anxiety within the fans saying that he’s not playing. The plan was that he would come here, wave, meet certain people and leave. Now the federal government has already constituted a committee that can look into all points, including whether there was any mismanagement on the organiser’s side or the rest.
‘The organiser is giving in writing to those that are concerned that the tickets which have been sold needs to be refunded. Now the situation is under control.’
West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, issued an apology for the scenes contained in the stadium.
‘I’m deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I used to be on my strategy to the stadium to attend the event together with 1000’s of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi,’ Banerjee said in an announcement.
‘I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, in addition to to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unlucky incident.’
Messi is in India as a part of his GOAT Tour. Earlier on Saturday, a 70-foot iron statue of the football icon was unveiled on the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata.
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