'God of soccer' Lionel Messi (38, Inter Miami)'s Indian fans turned into rioters.
Inter Miami is conducting a tour visiting four major Indian cities from the 13th to the 15th. They held events including youth soccer clinics, charity events, and a statue unveiling for Messi.
A sudden incident occurred from the first day of the events. At the Messi statue unveiling held on the 13th at Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Indian fans suddenly rioted. Fans said, "I bought a 12,000 rupee (about 130,000 won) ticket but couldn't even properly see Messi's face.
Eventually, dissatisfied fans caused a violent outbreak. Fans who rushed into the stadium suddenly began to break objects. the fan event suddenly turned into a riot.
A bewildered Messi made one lap of the field, felt threatened, ended the event 20 minutes early and evacuated. After Messi left the stadium, more excited fans confronted police and damaged items on the field. In an instant, thousands of fans swarmed in and the stadium turned into chaos.
The organizers had planned to unveil a 21-meter-tall Messi statue made as the largest statue of a soccer player in the world. But the statue could not be unveiled.
Kolkata governor Mamata Banerjee apologized, saying, "I express deep shock and regret at the chaos and failure of management witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium."
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