Messi’s GOAT India Tour has taken a Sour turn amidst the chaos that unravelled after fans were left disappointed by the complete failure of event management, security, and the ensuing chaos. Let’s check what really happened from the arrival to the point of this unruly chaos.
The Kolkata Chapter
The Arrival
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On 12th December, a few hours are left until the point where The Prince of Football will set foot into the mecca of Indian football, the fans of Kolkata were ecstatic, awaiting his arrival. Thousands of fans were lined up from the airport on the roads leading to the hotel where Messi took shelter for the night for the big day awaiting. Many fans came up in numbers at the Airport terminal to receive Messi and witness a glimpse of the Man himself. People sacrificed their sleep and waited there, chanting his name tirelessly for almost 4-5 hours, some of them directly coming up there after their tiring day at the office, not even visiting their homes just to see a glimpse of La Pulga. Finally, at 2:26 AM, Messi’s chartered flight arrived at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, and he was escorted with tight security via the VIP terminus, where the organiser Satadru Dutta himself came to receive Messi and took him up to the Audi allotted for Messi amongst the fleet of police vehicles for security. And thousands of people finally got to see their hero as he passed by them. After reaching The Hyatt Regency (where Messi took his shelter for the night), he was again greeted with thousands of fans waiting for him for hours. He reached there amongst tight security and was safely taken to his room, where he rested for the night.
The Event Day
On 13th December, Messi virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself holding the World Cup, installed beside the Lake Town Clock Tower at the Sreebhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, alongside a prominent politician in Sujit Bose and the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan.
After that, a high-profile meeting was held at the Hyatt, where he met some of the big Business tycoons like Sanjiv Goenka, among other politicians and high-profile personalities.
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Among all this, a cultural and musical event was taking place to keep the fans engaged with some entertainment, followed by a Legendary Match between Mohun Bagan Messi All Stars vs Diamond Harbour FC Messi All Stars, which ended in the middle as the man himself arrived at the stadium and got greeted with all the loud “Messi-Messi” cheers and he waved with affection thanking the fans who came to see him.
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Messi was also handed the famous Immortal XI Mohun Bagan Jersey.
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The Chaos
The tension began the moment Messi entered the stadium around 11:30 AM. Fans had paid exorbitant prices (ranging from ₹4,000 to ₹25,000) for what was advertised as a 45-minute appearance, including a “lap of honour” where the icon would interact with the stands. But things unravelled in a more sour direction as the fans who had so much hope and anticipation were left disappointed with:-
- The “VIP Wall”: Instead of an open view of the legend, Messi, along with Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, was immediately swarmed by a “human barricade” of local politicians, organisers, and their entourages. And,
- Blocked Views: Fans in the stands complained that they couldn’t even see Messi because he was surrounded by people taking selfies and shaking hands on the pitch. The general sentiment was that the event had been hijacked by VIPs, leaving the paying public with nothing but a view of officials’ backs.
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The chaos ultimately led to the event being cut short and Messi being escorted safely through secured exits. The disappointed fans, after which, showed their anger by throwing seats and breaking the gates to the football pitch, creating havoc.
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The Aftermath
After all this chaos, it raises some serious question on the organisers and the security measures taken by them and also arises questions on whether the state and the people involved in the management of this event were actually ready to host a figure as big as him and an audience like this. At the end, it was the fans who suffered, and the chaos that unravelled on the pitch, along with the demolition caused due to the violence by fans. Ultimately, the price has to be paid by Indian Football and their fans, and they’ll be the ones who’ll suffer the most among all this mismanagement caused due to the careless and selfish approach of a certain group of people, who ultimately made this event made for celebration and one for the memories to an utter disgrace and shame for the Indian audience and somewhere will also leave a taint in Messi’s glorious career.
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