Unable to see Messi, irked fans vandalise stadium; CM orders ‘mismanagement’ probe

Kolkata: Kolkata, the city that has a prominent history of love and craziness for football, witnessed mayhem on Saturday with the event featuring football superstar Lionel Messi descended into unrest, prompting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to apologise unconditionally and constitute an enquiry committee.

Frustrated fans alleged organisational failure and mismanagement, vandalised parts of the iconic Salt Lake Stadium, leading to a massive chaos. The main organiser, Satadru Dutta, was detained.

Thousands of fans had gathered at the stadium in anticipation of seeing Messi in-person. The excitement quickly turned into anger when the star entered the ground, almost an hour late from the given time, surrounded by players, leaders, ministers and nearly invisible to the fans. The event, which was scheduled for at least an hour ended within 10 minutes and with the gathering, Messi left the ground.

The infuriated crowd started throwing water bottles and even chairs from the gallery onto the ground expressing their frustration. Fans, who had come from across the country, paid a hefty amount just to get a glimpse of their icon, were left “scammed”. The stadium was full with the scream “we want Messi”.

The event mentioned a celebrity football match along with a penalty shootout at the end and also the presence of Shah Rukh Khan, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Sourav Ganguly. But nothing could actually happen due to the mass outrage.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to her X handle and expressed concern over the disorder. “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. I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident.”

She directed for formation of an enquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Ashim Kumar Ray, with chief secretary and the additional chief secretary, Home and Hill Affair department, as members. “The committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future,” she wrote. The police detained Satadru Dutta, the main organiser of the event featuring Argentine football icon Lionel Messi, following chaos and vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday forcing the superstar to leave the venue earlier than scheduled. Dutta was picked up from Kolkata airport with police initiating a suo motu case in the incident.

“We have already detained the main organiser. We are taking all necessary action so that those associated with the mismanagement do not go unpunished. We will see to it that the aggrieved fans are adequately compensated,” said West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose strongly condemned the mishandling of the event. “This is a clear case of systemic failure by the government. Last night itself, based on information from the common man, I had conveyed precautionary measures required for crowd management. Today’s incident proves that none of those steps were taken by the police...Certain suggestions were also given to ward off such incidents in future.”

He added: “Bengal is shocked. India is aghast. We love Messi, we respect Messi. But the authorities of Calcutta had made Messi a real Messi,” he said. The Opposition also voiced strong criticism. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari condemned the fiasco and demanded the resignation of state Sports and Youth Affairs minister Aroop Biswas and Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose, citing a complete failure in oversight and crowd management.

“The vandalism was no accident, it was orchestrated lawlessness by WB Sports Dept, State Govt Ministers, Ruling Party MLAs, Leaders, their family members and friends cops, and a complicit Police Force,” he claimed.

Fans, in frustration were seen taking carpets, chairs and even flower pots from the ground. They said: “We have been cheated. The hefty amount we paid must be compensated.” Fans were even seen with tears being heartbroken as not even once their icon was clearly visible to them.

Meanwhile, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued a statement distancing itself from the controversial event and expressing concern over the developments at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. “The AIFF is deeply concerned by the events that transpired where thousands of fans gathered to witness world football stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo de Paul,” the statement said.

Clarifying its position, the federation stated that the programme was a private event organised by a PR agency and that the AIFF “was not involved in the organisation, planning or execution of the event in any capacity”. It further added that no details or clearances were sought from the federation. Urging calm, the AIFF appealed to attendees to cooperate with authorities, stressing that “the safety and security of all individuals involved must remain the paramount priority.”

The incident has sparked widespread debate about event management in the city, particularly for high-profile celebrity appearances. Experts have noted that better crowd control measures, clear communication, and advance coordination with local authorities are crucial to prevent such disruptions in the future.