In Bengaluru FC, India have found a club who have set themselves a target of transforming Indian football from the roots.

Bengaluru FC — Art by Fabrizio Birimbelli

The Kanteerava doesn’t quite strike you as ominous. Located centrally in Bengaluru, adjacent to its busiest streets, it is as structurally prosaic as public arenas can possibly become. It lacks in bulk, and the surrounding aesthetics don’t quite inspire awe. On the first look from the outside, you’d think it is one of those enclosures where athletes come to be forgotten.

But you don’t judge a theatre for the gloss on its seat covers.

Mornings are a good time to visit stadiums. The only occupants are a few drifting security guards seeing out time, waiting for the sun to set and their shift to end. If you are good with words and persuasion, you’ll probably be allowed to walk inside and see the stadium at its emptiest yet its most expansive.