Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated four-city tour of India took a dramatic flip after a chaotic begin in Kolkata on Saturday, prompting severe safety issues.
In response to a Instances of India report printed on Monday, Messi and his entourage felt a “severe menace” quickly after arriving on the Salt Lake Stadium, the place safety preparations had been discovered to be insufficient.
Selfie Obsession, VIP Overcrowding
The report mentioned police personnel, politicians and organizers repeatedly sought selfies with the Argentine star, failing to keep up primary crowd management. VIP passes had been allegedly distributed freely amongst politicians, organizers and their prolonged households, resulting in congestion across the footballer. One VIP go holder was reportedly seen “clutching Messi’s hand for a selfie” as he tried to acknowledge the 60,000-strong crowd.
Pen Scratch Incident Sparks Exit Resolution
Messi’s crew grew more and more alarmed after a member of the gang persistently sought an autograph, throughout which a pen scratched the footballer’s physique. Following the incident, the World Cup winner reportedly advised organizer Satadru Dutta, now in police custody for mismanagement, that he wished to go away the stadium.
Arrival Turns Chaotic Inside Minutes
Messi, together with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, arrived on the venue round 11:30 AM and was initially welcomed by former India footballers Mehtab Hossain and Dipendu Biswas. Whereas Messi appeared cheerful at first, the scenario shortly deteriorated as politicians and even law enforcement officials started pushing for images.
“Some selfie seekers started pushing and shoving him in a surprising method,” a witness advised The Instances of India, including that Messi appeared visibly uncomfortable regardless of attempting to stay composed.
‘Vida’ Warning and Swift Departure
As Messi moved in the direction of the VIP gallery, a girl rushed in the direction of him for an autograph, triggering a short crush. “I heard his supervisor say ‘vida’ (Spanish for ‘life’). That is once I realized Messi’s crew sensed a severe menace to his security and wished to go away,” the witness mentioned.
Messi exited the stadium inside simply 22 minutes of arrival.
Fan Fury and Stadium Injury
The abrupt departure left 1000’s of followers, a lot of whom had paid substantial sums for tickets, offended and dissatisfied after failing to catch even a glimpse of the soccer icon. Following Messi’s exit, unrest broke out, with vandalism reported on the venue. The harm has been estimated at Rs 2.5 crore.
The Kolkata episode solid a shadow over what was meant to be a celebratory second for Indian soccer followers, forcing organizers and authorities to reassess safety preparations for the rest of Messi’s tour.