‘He failed to honour his commitment’: Gavaskar targets Messi over Kolkata chaos

Former India cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar has laid the blame on football star Lionel Messi for the chaos that followed the Argentine’s recent appearance in Kolkata, saying the World Cup winner failed to honour his commitment to fans.

Messi, accompanied by Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, arrived at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 for what had been promoted as a two-hour fan interaction. However, the appearance ended abruptly for reasons that were never officially explained, leaving thousands of ticket-holding supporters disappointed and frustrated.

Ticket-holders furious over steep prices at the Salt Lake Stadium event hurled bottles and tried forcing gates between stands after the Argentine star departed prematurely. Enraged supporters vandalised the Kolkata venue, decrying shoddy organisation and slamming VIPs and politicians for monopolising the football legend's presence and time, denying fans any sight of Messi.

The incident triggered scenes of unrest outside the venue, with Kolkata police later arresting tour organiser Satadru Dutta. In the aftermath, responsibility was widely attributed to overcrowding by politicians and VIPs around the footballer. Gavaskar, however, rejected that explanation.

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Gavaskar places blame squarely on Messi’s entourage

Writing in Sportstar, Gavaskar said that if Messi had agreed to remain at the venue for a specific duration but departed early, the responsibility lay with the player and his entourage. “Everyone was blamed except the person who failed to honour his commitment,” he wrote.

He added that while the details of the agreement had not been made public, leaving well before the promised time would make Messi and his team accountable for the fallout.

Gavaskar also dismissed suggestions that security concerns forced the early exit, saying there was no credible threat to Messi. He argued that the footballer could have made a simple gesture to the crowd, such as walking around the pitch or taking a penalty, which would have ensured fans saw him as promised.

“Yes, he was surrounded by politicians and so-called VIPs, but there was no security threat to him or his entourage,” Gavaskar wrote.

The 75-year-old former cricketer also defended the event’s organisers, noting that Messi’s appearances in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi during the same tour had proceeded smoothly without incident.