Lionel Messi‘s communication team has finally broken its silence on the chaos that unfolded at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium during the opening day of the GOAT Tour last December. In an email sent to the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, Messi’s camp reportedly held former West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas responsible for the fiasco while exonerating event organiser Satadru Dutta, who was arrested and jailed following the incident.
The development was confirmed by Dutta, although the Bidhannagar Police declined to comment. The email forms part of an ongoing investigation after Dutta filed a complaint alleging criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, cheating and extortion.
“An email arrived today. The consultant and adviser associated with Messi’s India tour has written to the Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar. Even on the day I was arrested, they repeatedly informed the police about the role of the then sports minister. But the police ignored it and made me a scapegoat because Aroop Biswas was a minister at that time,” Dutta told PTI.
Messi arrived in India last December as part of his four-city GOAT Tour, but the Kolkata leg descended into chaos almost immediately. The Argentine superstar was forced to cut short his appearance at the stadium within minutes, leaving thousands of fans disappointed and triggering scenes of vandalism inside the venue.
Following the incident, Dutta was blamed for the mismanagement and arrested before Messi travelled to Hyderabad. However, the latest communication from Messi’s team suggests the event’s premature end stemmed from serious breaches of security and protocol.
“In my opinion, the unfortunate decision to terminate the event early was not within the control of the event promoter, Mr Satadru Dutta, and he was not responsible for this. Rather, it was a precautionary measure necessitated by breaches of event protocol and security arrangements on the ground by parties that were not part of the original event plan,” the email stated.
Messi’s representatives specifically alleged that Biswas violated agreed protocols during the event.
“During Mr Messi’s appearance at the stadium, the approved protocol of there being no dignitaries on the field and allowing only three camera operators was disrupted when the then Sports Minister entered the field of play and became involved in activities that were not part of the scheduled programme. This included repeated unscheduled interactions and physical contact with Mr Messi, including placing hands on his shoulder and around his waist for photographs,” the letter stated.
The email further claimed that Biswas’ actions contributed to a wider breakdown of security arrangements.
“These actions, together with the presence of several other unauthorised individuals and approximately 40 unaccredited photographers and camera operators in restricted areas, disrupted the agreed events planned for the visit and created concerns regarding Mr Messi’s security, comfort and personal space. It also made it impossible for him to interact with the individuals and activities that had been planned on the stadium field,” it added.
