The Argentine champion’s tour got off to a terrible start: the Pulce left the Calcutta stadium in full view of thousands of fans who had paid to see him. The situation then degenerated, with fans damaging seats and spilling onto the pitch
Leo Messi’s “Goat Tour” doesn’t start off under the best auspices. In Calcutta, the Salt Lake Stadium was vandalized by the Argentine’s fans, who had paid dearly for tickets to attend a friendly match destined to turn into a case. Public expectations were dashed by security management that proved inadequate. The situation degenerated when a group of boys managed to bypass the controls, invading the pitch and surrounding Messi. At that point the Argentine decided to cancel the event and leave the stadium early. An exit from the scene that the public did not forgive and which caused the protest to explode. Disappointment immediately turned into anger: hundreds of child seats were destroyed and thrown onto the pitch, along with thousands of bottles of water. “We paid more than a hundred dollars for tickets and saw nothing,” protested one fan. Another recounted the financial sacrifice faced: “I spent my monthly salary to see Messi.” The police are also in the sights of the payers, accused of having dedicated themselves to selfies and photos instead of maintaining control of the situation. The episode shocked local authorities. The state’s prime minister, Mamata Banerjee, said she was “shocked” by the mismanagement, offered her “sincere apologies” to Messi and the fans and announced the opening of an investigation. Now the six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s tour is trying to restart with stops in Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, where a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not ruled out. But what happened in Calcutta casts a shadow over a long-awaited event.