Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has held football legend Lionel Messi responsible for the chaos that erupted during the Kolkata leg of the ‘GOAT Tour of India’. Messi attended an event at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, but his brief appearance disappointed thousands of fans.
As per the original schedule, Messi was expected to stay on the field for nearly two hours. However, citing security concerns, he left the stadium much earlier and remained present for only 22 minutes. During that time, several VIPs surrounded him, preventing fans from getting a clear view.
Soon after Messi exited the venue, angry supporters began to protest. Fans threw water bottles onto the field and damaged chairs, leading to disorder inside the stadium.
Reacting to the incident, Sunil Gavaskar said Messi himself was the main reason behind the unrest. He stated that many people blamed organisers and fans, but ignored the role of the football star. Gavaskar pointed out that Messi failed to honour his commitment by leaving well before the agreed time.
Gavaskar also dismissed claims of serious security threats. He said Messi faced no real danger and could have walked around the stadium, greeted fans, or even played football briefly. He added that political leaders and VIPs crowding around Messi worsened the situation and blocked fans’ view.
The former cricketer further noted that Messi’s visits to Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi went smoothly. He said those events succeeded because Messi followed the schedule and spent adequate time with fans.
Gavaskar concluded by stating that before blaming organisers or supporters, one must examine whether the promised commitments were fulfilled.
