NEW DELHI, Dec 13: While the Kolkata fans were thoroughly disappointed and resorted to vandalism out of frustration, the Hyderabad crowd was on cloud nine as Argentinian football superstar Lionel Messi attended the GOAT Cup exhibition match, an event that was part of his three-day tour to India.
Messi reached Hyderabad in the evening on Saturday and arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at around 7:55 PM IST. The Argentine icon also played football with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and even scored an effortless goal. A video of the play is going viral on social media.
Earlier in the day in Kolkata, about 50,000 spectators, many of whom had paid Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000 — and in some cases up to Rs 20,000 in the black market — watched helplessly as a swarm of politicians, VVIPs, security personnel, and assorted hangers more interested in selfies than crowd control surrounded Messi, leaving the fans at the Salt Lake Stadium angry. Angry fans started the mayhem by hurling bottles — banned items in an otherwise sporting venue. Chairs were then ripped out and thrown.
Fibreglass seats lay smashed across the pitch and the synthetic track. However, it was a totally different scene at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium later on the day. As Messi reached amid tight security, with the fans cheering in huge numbers for him. Notably, Luis Suaraz and Rodrigo de Paul, who have travelled with Messi to India, were also there with the player at the venue.
An exhibition match took place on the ground before Messi joined Telangana CM Reddy and played some passes with him before netting the ball and sending the crowd in a frenzy.
(Manas Dasgupta)
