Messi Kolkata event organizer sent to 14-day police custody
What's the story
The Bidhannagar court has remanded Satadru Dutta, the promoter and organizer of Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T India Tour 2025, to 14 days of police custody, according to ANI. This decision comes in light of the chaos that erupted at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium during Messi's visit. Large sections of the crowd turned unruly, damaging property after Messi left the venue far earlier than scheduled.
Event disruption
Messi's Kolkata visit marred by chaos and confusion
Messi's highly anticipated visit to Kolkata lasted a mere 22 minutes. He was accompanied by former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez and Argentina World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul. However, instead of mingling with fans, he was surrounded by politicians, VIPs, police officers, and aides. Despite Dutta's pleas over the public address system to vacate the ground, the requests were ignored.
Fan backlash
Fans express disappointment over Messi's early departure
The abrupt departure of Messi left around 50,000 fans disappointed. Many had paid between ₹5,000 and ₹16,000 for tickets. Some even spent up to ₹20,000 on the black market. As frustration grew, some fans started throwing bottles and damaging stadium property. One fan summed up the disappointment, saying they "spent a month's salary to watch football."
VIP impact
VIP presence exacerbates chaos at Messi's Kolkata event
The heavy presence of politicians and celebrities worsened the situation at Salt Lake Stadium. Messi was reportedly blocked from public view by a human barricade of dignitaries. The arrival of former India captain Sourav Ganguly heightened tensions, while Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan canceled his plans to enter the venue. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also changed her schedule mid-way through the event.
Football challenges
Messi's visit highlights challenges for Indian football
Messi's second visit to Kolkata coincides with a challenging time for Indian football, with the national men's team ranked 142nd in FIFA rankings. The chaos at Salt Lake Stadium highlighted deeper issues in sports administration and crowd management. The incident drew parallels with some of Kolkata's darkest sporting memories, such as the abandoned 1996 Cricket World Cup semi-final and the fatal 1980 Kolkata Derby stampede.