3 de Febrero Overview

The first stop of Lionel Messi's India tour took an unexpected turn as angry fans ripped up seats and hurled objects onto the pitch as chaos descended at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. The unsavoury scenes came due to fan disgruntlement at Messi's brief 20-minute appearance, where they 'could not see his face'. The event organiser has been detained as a result of the incident and an enquiry is ongoing.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have confirmed that two high-profile coaching applications, allegedly sent by former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez and current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, were fraudulent. The revelation comes as the federation continue their search for a new head coach for the Indian men’s national football team.