Lionel Messi cuts short India stadium tour as angry fans throw bottles and chairs

Lionel Messi was forced to end his stadium tour early in India on Saturday as furious supporters hurled bottles and chairs onto the pitch.

Spectators had paid up to 25,000 rupees (£206) to watch Messi do a lap of honour around the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata alongside his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.

However, Messi was surrounded by VIPs on the pitch, meaning that fans in the stands were unable to catch a glimpse of Argentina’s World Cup winner.

Due to concerns over Messi’s safety, the lap was cut short by his security team and organisers and the 38-year-old was whisked away after just ten minutes.

Hundreds of fans began to rip out chairs and hurl them towards the pitch, while another group vandalised the canopies set up for the lap of honour. Riot police were then called in to disperse the pitch invaders .

‘Seeing the utter chaos, the management, the authorities, it was absolutely rubbish,’ a supporter inside the stadium told Indian broadcaster ANI.

‘All the people you see here love football. We all wanted to see Messi, but it was a total scam. We want our money back, the management was so bad.

‘It is a black day for Kolkata. Kolkata is known for football, and we love football, we love Argentina, but this experience is absolutely a scam. The ministers were there with their children, and the other people could not see anything, we are very hurt.’

Another fan told ANI: ‘We are very disappointed.

‘My child was very excited to see Messi… I think it’s a scam for the people. When Messi arrived, everyone surrounded him.’

West Bengal Police subsequently confirmed that the main organiser of the event had been arrested.

‘We have already detained the main organiser. We are taking action to ensure this mismanagement does not go unpunished,’ said Rajeev Kumar, the West Bengal Director General of Police.

‘There was some kind of anger or anxiety in the fans saying that he’s not playing. The plan was that he would come here, wave, meet certain people and leave. Now the government has already constituted a committee that will look into all aspects, including whether there was any mismanagement on the organiser’s side or anything else.

‘The organiser is giving in writing to those who are concerned that the tickets which have been sold should be refunded. Now the situation is under control.’

West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, issued an apology for the scenes inside the stadium.

‘I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi,’ Banerjee said in a statement.

‘I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident.’

Messi is in India as part of his GOAT Tour. Earlier on Saturday, a 70-foot iron statue of the football icon was unveiled at the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, Kolkata.

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