Fans fuming at high-priced tickets

The Yuba Bharati Krirangan or Salt Lake stadium has a notorious history of bungling on big occasions.

The Yuba Bharati Krirangan or Salt Lake stadium has a notorious history of bungling on big occasions. A 30-minute power cut during the World Cup qualifier between India and Japan in 2004 had left the legendary Brazilian Zico,then Japan’s coach,dumbfounded. An inquiry had revelaed that the disruption had been caused by rats chewing through latge sections of the wiring.

During Argentina’s practice session on Wednesday evening,five bulbs in a light tower blinked and went off. To minimise the risk of such occurences during Friday’s friendly,a large number of portable generator sets have been hired and the organisers say that the machines can provide uninterrupted power supply.

The night before the match,the organisers kept the stadium illuminated for hours,to check the veracity of their own claim. The lights held firm but fingers remain crossed. While Alejandro Sabella was busy getting his formation right,with skipper Messi inside the refurbished arena,there were knots of youngsters outside the statium engaged in animated discussion about the game.

The speculations were varied and unending. “Messi will surely score a hat-trick to greet his appointment as Argentina’s captain,” said one. Another was worried if Messi would play all 90 minutes,considering it was a friendly match. “It will be a real disappointment if he is taken off,” the anxious fan said.

Argentines are not used to playing on artificial turf but are not making any complaints. “We don’t play on this type of synthetic surface. But we have to accept it. Players are trying to adjust to the conditions,” Sabella said.

Celebrity Management Group (CMG) reportedly bought the rights of the Argentina-Venezuela game and the match between Argentina and Nigeria,to be held in Dhaka on September 6,for Rs 22 crore. And they have already broken even. Even so,Bhaswar Goswami,who heads CMG,is not expecting a full house on Friday. “Some tickets are still unsold. Maybe the prices are a bit on the higher side by Indian standards. But it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change Messi,it doesn’t change Argentina and it doesn’t change the game.

On Thursday morning,a group of young Messi fans at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium academy wanted to see their hero in flesh and blood but stringent security arrangements barred them from visiting the team hotel.

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“My father is an auto driver. How can we go to the ground to watch the game when tickets start from Rs 1000? My father sends me to the academy as he too is a Messi fan and wants me to play like him in the future,” said Shantanu Saha,one of the bright talents. On the night before the biggest ever football event in Kolkata,Messi’s hold on the city’s imagination is evident in more ways than one. Shamik Chakrabarty

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Salt Lake Stadium