Odishatv Bureau
Kolkata: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi arrived in the wee hours today but more than 1500 frenzied die-hard supporters and hordes of mediamen who stayed awake throughout the night were left heartbroken without getting a glimpse of the Argentine superstar who made a hush-hush exit from the VIP gate amid high security without anybody`s notice.

The football-mad city however did not witness the same turn-out when Diego Maradona visited about three years back as the Kolkatans then had lined up on the streets while state government officials had come to welcome him at the airport.

But the euphoria was exactly the same as the fans with many wearing the Albiceleste colours painted the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Dum Dum in white and sky blue.

Holding Argentina flags and lifesize Messi cutouts, the fans poured in since 2am, more than one hour in advance of the Argentine star`s arrival. There were also few Tricolours seen flying high among the white and sky blue colours.

The football-crazy fans danced and cried deliriously, shouting "three cheers for Messi, three cheers for Argentina," as near stampede like scenes were witnessed outside the airport.

"It`s an achievement for Kolkata. I don`t know what will happen to me when I see the God of football. Perhaps, I will faint," ardent Messi fans Arindam Ghosh and Uttam Saha who were part of a 50-member team of Bidrohi Club in Baghajatin stated.

With the airport exit witnessing delirous scenes, the security seemed to be a concern to bring Messi out of the terminal to the team vehicles parked outside.

The cheers and the jubilant scenes just got louder as the clock struck 3. 10 am, the scheduled time of the Qatar Airways flight from Doha.

There were few spells of rain when Messi landed around 3.15am but that did not dampen the spirits. But soon the wait took the shape of high confusion among the anxious fans who seemed clueless about Messi`s exit path as passengers from the same flight started coming out. With no signs of Messi, the fans frantically kept on asking the passengers about the Argentine`s whearabouts.

But the Messi`s fellow passengers were equally cluelss.

Mad rush to the other exit ways were witnessed as there was no glimpse of Messi. The photojournalists were equally frustrated.

Meanwhile after more than 30 minutes of confusion, the organisers came out to declare that `Messi has come and was taken out safely to the team hotel along with four others.

"Yes, Messi has arrived along with Mascherano and three from Venezuela. Nobody had an idea through which gate he would be taken out," Bhaswar Goswami, executive director of CMG, told media persons.

Accompanied by Mascherano, Messi was sporting a white T-shirt and grey shorts as he completed the formalities with the immigration department before being whisked away from Gate No 5.

More than 30 members of the Argentine delegation including coach Alejandro Sabella have alreay checked in.

Venezuela team members too have come in batches for their match on Friday.

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