Few football-crazy fans today may be aware that India was once called the Brazil of Asia . Or that the rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is ranked among the top fifty club rivalries in the world. Brilliant players, world-class coaches and passionate fans including political leaders once combined to make India a footballworshipping nation. Thriving in several places apart from Calcutta, football was a source of the finest sports entertainment for most of the twentieth century. The game was also inextricably linked to community identity, shrewdly used towards political ends and contributed richly to our cultural heritage. In Barefoot to Boots, foremost commentator Novy Kapadia reveals Indian football s glorious legacy through riveting descriptions and analysis of on- field action, stories of memorable matches, lively anecdotes, and exclusive conversations with legendary players and officials. Charting the eventful journey of the sport up to the present, the book will enthral old and new fans alike. It will offer invaluable insight into the future of the game as the Indian Super League dramatically changes the face of domestic football and India hosts the U-17 World Cup for the first time.