It was a virtual mayhem at the giant Salt Lake stadium (Yuva Bharati Krirangan), as irate fans indulged in large-scale vandalism to vent their frustration on Saturday over their inability to catch a proper glimpse of soccer magician Lionel Messi, despite having shelled out astronomical amounts for tickets to see their favourite hero from up close.

The Saturday morning soccer fever, which had gripped Kolkata as star-struck fans filled up the 67,000 capacity stadium for the Messi show, gave way to violence and saw a virtual collapse of order as fans went on a rampage after Messi left the ground only after 22 minutes, despite the organisers' earlier claims that he would spend an hour on the ground.

Even during his brief stay, Messi was surrounded by security personnel, organisers and others, including state sports minister Arup Biswas, many of whom seemed too eager to click selfies with Messi, blocking the views of the fans.

Messi, who arrived at 11:30 am in a white Audi, was escorted out by the security personnel at 11:52 am, disappointing the fans.

During his short stay, Messi shook hands with the players of the Diamond Harbour All Stars XI and Mohun Bagan All Stars XI, who played an exhibition game.In honour of Messi, all the players wore his number 10 jersey.

Fans who had spent between Rs 4,866 and Rs 10,800 for a glimpse of the Argentine soccer genius, and had spent long hours travelling and queueing to enter the stadia were obviously "not amused", and gave vent to their frustations in a display of large scale soccer vandalism.

Angry fans uprooted fibreglass seats and seat covers, rained plastic water bottles and other items onto the ground, as the first leg of the soccer star's four-city India tour, descended into a virtual free-for-all.

As bewildered police personnel watched on, the violence began from the lower tiers of the stadium with spectators flinging the uprooted fibreglass seats and seat covers and later whatever they could lay their hands on onto the athetic tracks surrounding the soccer pitch.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was scheduled to be present at the programme, was asked to turn back from the gate as the chaos unfolded inside.

The vandalism in the ground continued for close to an hour, even after Messi left. The fans gatecrashed into the ground, and broke the goal posts,as aslo the canopies erected on the team reserve benches.

When the police and the Rapid Action Force jawans finally swung into acction and tried to chase the violent spectators away, the mob attacked them. Pitched battles between fans and police personnel were seen at vairous points on the ground.

Finally, the mob cleared out one and a half hours later, leaving behind a scene of destruction: broken chairs, torn seat covers, damaged goalposts and canopies. A story of fotball fans at their worst.