Lionel Messi "Failed To Honour Commitment"? Sunil Gavaskar's Explosive 'Real Culprit' Remark On Kolkata Mess

Lionel Messi's GOAT Tour of India has ended. After a disastrous Kolkata leg, where fans were enraged at not being able to see the football superstar properly, the other legs of the tour in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi went smoothly. However, the happenings in Kolkata on December 13, which was the first stop in Messi's itinerary, left a blot on the tour. Fans threw chairs and bottles and vandalised stadium property in protest at not being able to see Messi, as he was surrounded by too many people on the field at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has, however, raised some important questions on whether Messi was the "real culprit."

"Even the recent episode at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where the Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi made a far shorter appearance than promised, was blamed on everyone except the person who failed to honour his commitment. What his agreement was is not public knowledge, but if he was meant to be at the stadium for an hour, then by leaving well before that time and disappointing fans who had paid good money, the real culprit was he and his entourage," Gavaskar wrote in Sportstar.

"Yes, he was surrounded by politicians and so-called VIPs, but there was no security threat to him or his entourage. Was he supposed to simply walk around the stadium, or do something tangible like take a penalty kick? If it were the latter, those around him would automatically have had to move, and the crowd would have seen their hero do what they had come to watch."

Gavaskar added that every angle needed to be investigated before blaming the Kolkata organisers.

"The other appearances went smoothly because commitments were met. So before blaming fellow Indians in Kolkata, it might be worth checking whether commitments on both sides were honoured," Gavaskar added.

As per the itinerary, Messi was supposed to take a lap of the stadium. However, according to reporters present, Messi had to be whisked away after just around 20 minutes.

At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, the GOAT arrived dressed in black and stepped out of a white Audi to thunderous applause, and the Salt Lake Stadium (now known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan) literally shook. Messi was flanked by longtime Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez and Argentina World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul. Then it all began to unravel.

Within minutes, Messi was surrounded by a bevy of politicians, police officers, VIPs, and their aides, forming a human blockade that ensured the paying public saw everything except Messi.

Messi looked confused and bemused, gamely signing autographs for former players while attempting a slow circuit of the ground. The situation only worsened.

Promoter Satadru Dutta, his voice choking, repeatedly pleaded over the public address system: "Please leave him alone. Please vacate the ground." The appeals fell on deaf ears as dignitaries continued to pile on, and Messi was virtually camouflaged amid a swarm of bodyguards and officials.

As word spread that the "Prince of Kolkata" Sourav Ganguly had arrived, tensions escalated further. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, waiting outside near the Vivekananda statue, eventually abandoned his plans altogether. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had already started from her residence for the venue, had to make a U-turn and change her plans.

Messi was finally escorted out well before his scheduled one-hour stay, leaving the stadium after spending just 22 minutes.

Topics mentioned in this article

Sunil Gavaskar Lionel Messi Argentina India Cricket Team Cricket