Messi event fiasco will affect Bengal for 50 years: Kalyan Chaubey

NEW DELHI: All India Football Federation president and BJP leader Kalyan Chaubey on Sunday claimed that the chaos and vandalism during football superstar Lionel Messi’s event at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata will have a wide fallout and damage Kolkata’s reputation for over 50 years.

Describing the episode as “very unfortunate” for a city long regarded as the Mecca of Indian football, Chaubey said: “When an incident like this happens, it is noticed internationally.

“Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the world’s greatest footballers and are followed by millions across the globe,” he said during a media interaction.

“Football is played across 211 countries. There is no country in the world where football is not played; even on the smallest islands, football is played. When these two go anywhere, the world media follow them and follow their every move.”

Chaubey said the immediate impact was borne by fans who had spent large sums to attend the event but warned that the long-term consequences could be far more damaging at a time when India is seeking to project itself as a global sporting destination.

“This is not a loss for just one person or any political party; it is a loss for Bengal and for the whole country.

“If today India bids for an international match in West Bengal, this event will act as an impediment. It is not just about today, when the event could not be held properly, its impact will be felt for 50 years in Bengal.”

The AIFF president noted that Kolkata has successfully hosted legendary players and major football events in the past, citing visits by icons such as Pele, Diego Maradona, Oliver Kahn, and Lothar Matthaus, among others. Agencies

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