"Lionel Messi's "GOAT Tour" of India was marred by chaotic scenes on Saturday after fans threw ripped up seats and invaded the pitch during the Argentina star's brief appearance. Messi's tour will see him travel from Kolkata to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. However, it did not get off to a dream start as his appearance was reportedly cut short to just 20 minutes due to the violence."
"The highlight of tour's opening day was meant to be the unveiling of a 70-foot Messi statue -- which is reported to be the largest statue of a footballer ever created. Messim who was accompanied by teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked a short distance on the pitch and waved briefly towards the stands amid loud chants of "Messi, Messi," but fans soon realised that the footballer remained tightly cordoned off and was barely visible from large sections of the stadium."
""Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi," a fan told ANI news agency. "Why did they call us then? "We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees ($130), but we were not even able to see his face." Mamata Banerjee, the region's chief minister, has issued an apology to Messi and ordered a probe into the incident. - The best (and worst) statues ever - including a 70-foot Messi-"
Messi's GOAT Tour opening in Kolkata descended into chaotic scenes as fans threw ripped-up seats and invaded the pitch, forcing a curtailed appearance reportedly cut to 20 minutes. The event was to include the unveiling of a 70-foot Messi statue, described as the largest statue of a footballer, and featured teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. Messi walked a short distance but remained tightly cordoned off and barely visible to many spectators. Fans complained about expensive tickets and being unable to see Messi. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee apologised and ordered a probe and an enquiry committee.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]