Anger at Lionel Messi ‘GOAT’ India tour as fans throw chairs and bottles at stadium event

Angry fans attending Lionel Messi’s India tour tore up seats and threw items onto the pitch after he took to the stage at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

Thousands of adoring fans paid up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133) to catch a glimpse of the football star, but were left disappointed when he took to the pitch and was hidden away by a large group of officials and celebrities.

Some elements of the crowd turned hostile when the Argentina and Inter Miami forward was prematurely removed by security guards after about 20 minutes.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she was “deeply disturbed and shocked” by the events.

Messi is in India for the ‘GOAT tour’, a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

His tour began with the unveiling of his 70ft statue in Kolkata, which was put together by a team of 45 people over 27 days.

It was announced almost for security reasons, meaning that thousands of fans went to the city’s stadium for the chance to see the football player.

They sing songs, buy jerseys and wear “I love Messi” headbands.

Messi initially walked around the stadium waving to fans, but after his appearance on Saturday ended abruptly, angry fans stormed the pitch, destroying banners and tents, while others threw plastic chairs and water bottles.

The 2022 World Cup winner, considered one of football’s all-time great players, was expected to play a short exhibition match at the stadium, AFP news agency reported.

“There were only leaders and players around Messi… Then why did they call us… We have a ticket worth 12,000 rupees but we couldn’t even see his face,” a fan at the stadium told Indian news agency ANI.

One angry fan told the Press Trust of India news agency that people were paying the equivalent of a month’s salary to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“I paid R5,000 for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians.

“Police and military personnel were taking selfies and the administration is responsible for this.”

Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and has a large football fan base in an otherwise cricket-mad country.

It is common to see hundreds of thousands of fans in the city gathering in stadiums for local clubs’ derbies.

Banerjee, who launched an investigation, apologized to Messi and “sports fans” for the incident at the stadium.

” [enquiry] “The committee will conduct a detailed investigation into the incident, determine responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

Early on Saturday, thousands of people lined the roads and gathered outside the hotel where Messi was staying, trying to catch a glimpse of him.

Hitesh, a 24-year-old corporate lawyer, flew nearly 1,900 kilometers from the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.

Standing in front of the statue, Hitesh told the BBC: “For me it’s a personal thing. I remember I’m quite short and I like to play football with my friends.”

“Messi is the player I connect with the most, no one can rival his talent. He gives me hope that with talent you can achieve anything.”

This is just a small part of the respect India has for the former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward.

Fans can visit the ‘Hola Messi’ fan zone, which features a life-size replica of Messi sitting on a throne, a lounge adorned with some of his trophies, and a recreation of his Miami home, complete with mannequins of the player and his family sitting on the balcony.