Fans furious over constant dillydallying over Messi's visit to Kerala
He was furious about Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman's latest announcement that the proposed visit of the Argentina national team to Kerala had been called off. This is the second time in less than two months that fans have been left crestfallen over Messi's visit to Kerala.
'We were planning to organise a football tournament to mark Messi's visit to Kerala. We were also determined to watch him play, no matter where the matches were held. The constant announcements and retractions amount to playing with the sentiments of football fans,' fretted Mr. Salih.
Initially, fans were left disappointed when the itinerary released by the Argentina Football Federation (AFC) in May did not include a stopover in Kerala, contrary to Mr. Abdurahiman's announcement in November last year that the Argentina national football team featuring Messi would play two exhibition matches against Japan and Qatar in Kerala in 2025. The blame was then placed on the Kochi-based company, with Mr. Abdurahiman saying it was up to the company, which had an agreement with the AFC, to explain.
However, less than a month later, in June, the Minister raised fresh hopes through a Facebook post saying, 'Messi is coming,' which he has now retracted. This time, he has placed the blame on the AFC, accusing it of going back on its promise to visit Kerala in October after accepting money.
Yedhukrishnan R., executive committee member of Penya del Barca Kerala, the official supporters' club of Spanish football giant FC Barcelona, where Messi played during his peak years and won multiple titles, including the Champions League, said he had been sceptical about the proposed visit of the Argentina team and Messi to Kerala from the outset.
'Either the State government or the sponsor made the announcements each time. There was no official word from the AFC at any point. However, had the visit really happened, it would have drawn an even bigger crowd than what was seen during the late Maradona's visit to Kerala,' he said.
K.V. Sanjay, a Maradu native working in Muscat, was downcast as his idol's visit back home was called off yet again. 'A bunch of us friends here in Muscat were planning to come home just to watch Messi. We had decided to apply for leave and book air tickets once the matches were announced,' he said.
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