“He has already pledged in writing that tickets sold for the event should be refunded,” he added.
Messi is in India as part of a tour during which he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics and a padel tournament, and to launch charitable initiatives at events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.
Disgruntled fans vandalise stadium chairs as they run on to the field after failing to get a glimpse of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.Credit: AP
The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, apologised to Messi and ordered a probe into the incident.
“I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake stadium,” Banerjee, who was on her way to the event when chaos broke out, posted on X.
“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident,” she said.
She said she was constituting a committee to conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, assign responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Lionel Messi arrives at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
West Bengal, Kerala and Goa states have long had large soccer followings in otherwise cricket-crazed India.
Multiple incidents of fan riots have taken place at Salt Lake stadium, including during a Kolkata derby match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in 2012 which was abandoned after a brick thrown from the stands hit a player, seriously injuring him.
Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona twice visited Kolkata, and in 2017 unveiled a statue there of himself holding the World Cup in the presence of thousands of fans.
Messi, who captained Argentina for the first time in a friendly match at the Salt Lake stadium in a 1-0 win over Venezuela in 2011, virtually unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself in Kolkata earlier on Saturday.
Reuters
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