Lionel Messi departed Kolkata swiftly following tumultuous events at Salt Lake Stadium, according to organizer Satadru Dutta. SIT investigates security breaches and financial information.
Arrested organizer Satadru Dutta informed investigators that Lionel Messi shortened his Kolkata visit due to feeling very uneasy about the disorganized crowd scenes at the Salt Lake Stadium on December 13.
What Made Lionel Messi Unhappy in Kolkata? Organiser’s Shocking Revelation
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) reported that Dutta mentioned Messi “was not fond of being touched or hugged,” a concern that had been explicitly communicated beforehand by the footballer’s international security team. Those alerts, however, went unheeded.
“Numerous announcements were issued urging individuals to control themselves, but it was ineffective,” Dutta informed the investigators. “The manner in which Messi was encircled and hugged was utterly intolerable for him.”
Images from the event depicted West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas near Messi, at times holding him as they posed for pictures. Biswas subsequently stepped down following accusations that he permitted family and friends entry to the ground area.
Investigators are currently examining how security failed so utterly. Dutta stated that merely 150 ground passes were first distributed, yet that figure supposedly increased threefold following the arrival of a “highly influential individual” who overturned the decision.
“Once that individual arrived at the stadium, the whole sequence of the event was disrupted,” an officer reported Dutta stating.
Dutta revealed the financial aspects of Messi’s trip to India, stating that the football star received ₹89 crore, with ₹11 crore allotted for tax—bringing the overall expense to ₹100 crore. Investigators reported that approximately 30 percent originated from sponsorships and another 30 percent from ticket revenue.
The SIT has blocked Dutta’s bank accounts, revealing more than ₹20 crore, and confiscated documents during searches at his home. Dutta asserted that the funds originated from ticket sales and sponsorships — a statement currently being verified.
Intended to be a premier football event turned chaotic as fans rushed onto the field, obscuring Messi from view in the stands. Furious fans subsequently damaged sections of the stadium, ending a night that turned into a chaotic security disaster.