Kolkata: Chaos erupted at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Friday as spectators who had paid hefty sums for tickets protested after failing to get a clear glimpse of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi.
Messi arrived at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan around 11.30 am along with his long-time strike partner Luis Suarez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He was the first to take the field and briefly waved to the crowd, drawing loud cheers from the stands.
However, Messi remained surrounded by VIPs, organisers and security personnel during his appearance, which effectively blocked the view of spectators seated in the galleries. Fans said that despite waiting since morning, they could not see the footballer properly, either directly or on the stadium’s big screens.
Discontent soon spread across the stadium, with chants of “we want Messi” echoing from the stands. The situation escalated when the Argentine star was escorted out of the venue within minutes, much before several invited dignitaries had arrived.
Several spectators accused the organisers of poor planning and mismanagement, saying their expectations were shattered after paying high prices to attend the event.
