Do you remember Sunil Chhetri's exploits in the SAFF Championship at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, in 2011? Or Baichung Bhutia's goal-scoring feats for the National Blue at home turfs? Have you skipped beats and felt tremors within you, watching Indian football's glory? Then this is for you.
We take you to the five best atmospheres of Indian football, which could see the crest rising. The advent of ISL has already given a shimmer of hope, and we wish the light flickers at the end of the day.
The home advantage is a bonus for any team, anywhere in world football. Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that the fans’ support at Old Trafford has been ethereal and very integral to their last-minute victories, as they added to the self-belief of the home team and demolished the confidence of the opposition.
Thus, we take a look at India’s finest football stadiums which have seen some memorable responses from the crowds. With the advent of ISL and the increased competitiveness of I-League, the home support is bound to grow in the years to come. Here, we help you to spot the finest footballing atmospheres in the country.
5. Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati
Home to the North East United FC, the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium is one of the finest football atmospheres in the country. Opened to the public in 2007, the stadium boasts of a strong capacity of 35,000.
The North-East faithful are known to create amazing atmospheres when their team is in action. Similar to the Thessaloniki Stadium in Greece in its build-up, the venue is one of the seven selected stadiums in India which will host the U-17 World Cup in 2017.
The ground has been home to World Cup winning star Joan Capdevilla and compatriot Koke, an attacking midfielder.
The franchise claims to be representing 8 Indian States, namely – Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram, and hence, the crazy support. The NEUFC has thrown a lot of talented youngsters on the National roaster and is sure to contribute to Indian football in the years to come.
4. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai
Recorded as the noisiest stadium in India during the Indian Super League, the DY Patil Stadium has the capacity to house 55,000 spectators. The venue is home to Mumbai City FC and opened to the public in 2014.
According to U-17 World Cup Tournament Director Javier Ceppi, the DY Patil Stadium is the best ground in the country to play football. With up-to-date modern facilities like a hot bath and excellent locker rooms, the DY Patil Stadium has one of the best lighting and turfs of Indian football, minutely similar to the Emirates Stadium in North London.
The DY Patil Stadium ticked most columns required to host the U-17 World Cup in 2017, satisfying the World Cup Inspection Committee.
The stadium has been home to Premier League stars like Nicolas Anelka and former Gunner Freddie Ljungberg. It has seen one of the most entertaining matches in the ISL, where Mumbai City FC defeated arch-rivals Pune City FC 5-0, Andre Moritz scoring a hat-trick.
In the 2016 edition of ISL, the venue will be home to 2010 World Cup Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan, who has recently signed for the Mumbai team.
3. Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
If you’ve seen World Cup winners Philip Lahm, Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger on an Indian football pitch, you’ve been to the the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. The biggest stadium in the capital of the country, the venue proudly welcomes 60,000 spectators.
Host to the Baichung Bhutia’s farewell match (India versus Bayern Munich) in 2012, the JLN Stadium is one of the biggest sporting amphitheatres in the country.
Host to the Delhi Dynamos FC, the JLN Stadium hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games and has been home to the National Team on a number of occasions. The design is similar to the Foshan Stadium in China, and allows spectators to vacate the venue in 6 minutes in emergency situations.
The stadium boasts of a new Electro-Voice professional audio system, making the atmosphere crazy and breath-taking at crucial moments.
The ground has been home to a number of superstars in the world of football. In 2014, Delhi Dynamos signed Juventus and Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero as their icon player. In the subsequent season, the club signed former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, former Chelsea star Florent Malouda as players and Brazilian Galactico Roberto Carlos as a coach, making its presence felt in all parts of the world.
Currently, Italian World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta is the head coach of the Delhi outfit.
The ground is also home to the Indian National Football Team. It also hosted the 2011 SAFF Tournament, in which the Indian Team emerged victorious. It is, thus, the fortress of Indian football in the truest form of the word.
2. Kaloor International Stadium, Kochi
Also known as the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, this ground was built in 1996 and boasts of unique modern facilities rarely found in India. The venue can open its arms for over 65,000 people and has even seen an attendance of over 1,00,000 in an International match between India and Iraq, in 1997!
Home to the Kerala Blasters team of ISL, the venue has recorded attendances in excess of 55,000 in several matches. The stadium has a unique aspect – its unique lighting towers. The lighting towers have a capacity of 2 kW Floodlights and can provide lighting levels for full HD telecast when switched on. The structure of the tower is also one of a kind in India.
The Kaloor International Stadium would be one of the hosts during the FIFA U-17 World Cup, 2017. In 2014, former England International David James played at the Kaloor International Stadium representing the home team. In the subsequent season, Spanish star Carlos Marchena made the venue his home.
FIFA would take over the stadium in April 2017 for preparations for the World Cup. The crowd pulling ability of the stadium makes it one of the most interesting atmospheres in football in the country.
1. Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
The host to one of the most frenzied footballing rivalries in world football, the Salt Lake Stadium, also known as the Yuva Bharti Krirangan, could host up to 120,000 spectators until very recently. Renovations have reduced the capacity to 68,000 viewers, which still makes it India’s biggest footballing coliseum.
A favorite to host the U-17 World Cup Final in 2017, the Salt Lake Stadium is one of the most historic grounds in the world. It hosted the farewell match of Germany star goalkeeper Oliver Kahn against Mohun Bagan, the visitors winning 3-0. Argentine football demigod Lionel Messi also mesmerized the crowds in this stadium, when the La Albiceleste faced Venezuela in a friendly.
Hosts to Kolkata-based ISL club Atletico de Kolkata, this venue saw the first match of the Indian Super League ever, featuring Pune City FC against the host team. The ground also features the ferocious derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, which has grossed crowds to the tune of 131,000 in 1997.
The stadium recently switched from artificial turf to natural grass as part of preparations for hosting the U-17 World Cup in 2017. The atmosphere here is electric and draws a comparison to any football stadium in the world. Known for its obsession with football, the ground has a sheepish resemblance to the Maracana stadium in Brazil, which hosted the 2014 Football World Cup Final.
