A 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi that was unveiled in Kolkata last December is in the news again over safety concerns.
Authorities tied ropes around the statue after residents found that the structure was swaying in the wind.
According to reports, engineers from the local administration found the fibreglass statue to be unstable and have made temporary arrangements to keep it safe.
The statue was unveiled during what turned out to be a chaotic start to Messi's 'Goat Tour' of India late last year. The Argentine superstar unveiled the statue remotely before meeting fans in a poorly managed event at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
There, unauthorised personnel were allowed access to the event, leading to crowd trouble. Messi and his entourage left the venue early after briefly interacting with fans, who later ripped out chairs and threw them on the pitch.
The organisers of the Messi event in Kolkata were later questioned by authorities over their management of the tour.
Messi is currently hoping to regain complete fitness ahead of Argentina's World Cup defence in North America.
His club Inter Miami revealed that Messi is dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring just weeks before the start of the World Cup after the Argentine forward was forced off in his final club match.
Messi left the field during Sunday’s 6-4 MLS victory over the Philadelphia Union in the 73rd minute after clutching the back of his thigh following a free kick.
"After undergoing further medical tests, the initial diagnosis indicates an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring," Inter Miami said in a statement.
"The timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress."
