Major football rivalries
Encyclopedia
This list deals with association football rivalries around the world. This includes local derbies
as well as matches between teams further apart. Footballing rivalries manifest themselves in many ways. Fierce conflicts between supporter groups, large media coverage, high television viewing figures and, in some cases, bitter controversy can be both causes and consequences of high-profile rivalries.
& Zamalek.
Al-Ahly has the biggest win between the two teams since the league commenced in 1948, winning 6–1 at their home Cairo Stadium in 2002.
The derby matches require foreign referees to officiate them.
is between Accra Hearts of Oak SC and Asante Kotoko. Kotoko represent Ghana's second largest city, Kumasi
, while Hearts of Oak play their home games in the capital, Accra
. In 2001, a match between the two teams in Accra resulted in the worst football-related disaster
in African history, when 127 people were killed by a stampede which broke out after clashes between supporters and police.
's largest city Casablanca
. The largest result between the two sides was Raja's 5–1 win over Wydad in 1995. The derby is played in Mohamed V Stadium with a capacity of 67,000 seats. The first derby was held the same year as the launch of the Moroccan championship, in 1956-1957.
's two most historically successful clubs, both situated in the township of Soweto
, Johannesburg
. The derby is often contested in the 90,000 seater FNB Stadium
in order to accommodate the large crowds. The derby has resulted in a number of notable incidents. These include two major riots, the Ellis Park
and Orkney Stadium
disasters. Both occurred at a Soweto derby game, and resulted in the deaths of 43 and 42 people respectively.
and Melbourne Victory FC and is also called The City Derby. The rivalry came about after the inception of the A-League
. Melbourne and Sydney were the two largest cities in Australia. It carries on a longstanding rivalry between the two cities, who compete both in sport and in politics.
, India
. In Indian football, Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal
are rivals. Mohun Bagan, being the oldest club in Kolkata
(and in Asia also), has a large fan base among the older residents of Kolkata. East Bengal club is mostly popular among the people who come from East Bengal (now known as Bangladesh
).
These two clubs met in 1925 for the first time and they have played almost 298 matches since then(as on 19 November 2011). Out of this number, East Bengal has beaten Mohun Bagan 112 times while Mohun Bagan has beaten East Bengal 84 times.
and Austria
. The rivalry dates back to the two clubs' foundations: Rapid was formed as a working-class club, whereas Austria traditionally represented the bourgeois city centre elite. As of 4 October 2010, 294 league matches have been played. Rapid won 122 times, Austria won 107 times, while 65 matches ended in a draw.
. So far (as of 5 May 2011), a total of 112 matches were played in all competitions. Sarajevo won 37 times and Željezničar won 35 times, while 40 matches ended with a draw. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina
became independent in 1992, as of July 2011 the teams have played each other 27 times in the Bosnian championship
; Sarajevo won 9 times, Željezničar won 7 times, with 11 draws.
is a football rivalry in Mostar
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
between HŠK Zrinjski
and FK Velež. The Mostar derby is special because of its political and national tensions. Mostar was in war in the near past, and in that war Zrinjski (West Mostar, Croatian part of the city) and Velež (East Mostar, Bosniak part of the city) were on different sides. The wounds of the war are still fresh which might be the reason why this derby is always accompanied by riots and violence.
. Historically the rivalry between Levski Sofia
and CSKA Sofia
is related to the rivalry between the Communist Army and people's support for the two teams, but this is no longer the case. There is fierce hatred between the fans of the clubs and there are often fights. On occasions up to 1500 police officers have been required to prevent trouble from occurring.
Levski's best results are 7:1, 7:2 and 5:0. CSKA's best results are two wins with 5:0 and one with 6:2 in a friendly game.
can gloat that their rivals are in the lower leagues. Nonetheless this rivalry is still hot and with Botev's rise in form, there will be no lack of pressure when these teams line up in the future.
n clubs Dinamo Zagreb
and Hajduk Split. Both teams are amongst the strongest in the country and have strong support groups, which are the Bad Blue Boys
for Dinamo and Torcida
for Hajduk.
Hajduk is from Dalmatia
(Split) and Dinamo is from the Zagreb
region.
In 2004, a friendly match between the teams was abandoned after fans threw objects including bottles and knives onto the pitch. The situation became intolerable after a Dinamo player Edin Mujčin
was sent off and tensions in the stands grew. Police said that before the match, 25 fans had been arrested.
and Tottenham
are neighbouring north London clubs, situated less than four miles from each other, hence the footballing rivalry. The rivalry dates back to 1919, when Arsenal were awarded promotion ahead of Tottenham, despite Tottenham finishing above them. Arsenal have won many more League titles (13 to Spurs' 2), and have won ten FA Cups to Tottenham's eight, many of these in recent years. However, Spurs have won more European trophies and League Cups; Arsenal more Community Shields.
An example in recent years that highlights the rivalry is the move of Sol Campbell
from Tottenham to Arsenal. At the time Campbell was considered one of the best defenders in the country and was in demand from teams such as Barcelona
and Inter Milan. Campbell's decision to join close rivals Arsenal came as a shock to fans. The move even prompted death threats from fans upset that he chose Arsenal. William Gallas
has also made the switch, but from Arsenal to Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the 2010-2011 season.
Aston villa's average crowd is more than the capacity of st Andrews, partly because Villa fans ripped up quite a few seats in the cup quarter finals. Most of Aston Villa's trophies were won before WW1.
Birmingham won the league cup in the 1960s and recently in 2011, putting them through to the Europa League.
and Liverpool
are so close that the Merseyside Derby is a very local derby. In fact, Liverpool FC was formed when Everton, the original team in the city, moved from Anfield to Goodison Park over a rent dispute. Everton's previous landlord founded Liverpool as his own team to play in the then empty Anfield stadium. The derby is often known as the "friendly" derby, with families in Liverpool
often split down the middle; it is one of the few local derbies where fan segregation is not enforced. Liverpool are the more successful of the clubs, winning eighteen league titles and five European Cup
s and other European trophies, while Everton have won one European trophy and 9 league titles in total. The relationship became somewhat less friendly and more heated after the Heysel
tragedy which resulted in the death of 39 Juventus
fans during the 1985 European Cup
Final: because of this, UEFA
enforced a five-year ban on all English clubs from European competition (Liverpool were initially banned for a further three years after other English clubs would be allowed back in, but in the event were only banned for one extra year). The ban on all English clubs caused outrage for many Everton fans as they were denied the chance to compete in the European Cup the following season. Everton had just been voted the European team of the season, and many people believed they would go on to achieve great things including winning the 1986 European Cup. However, the ban on English clubs meant that would not happen. Everton won the League championship again in 1987, but were again denied entry to the European Cup the following season. The team quickly broke up as the best players moved abroad for European football, and the team went into a decline from which it has never really recovered. This fixture has seen more red cards than any other in English history and it is always a cauldron of noise no matter on which side of Stanley Park the derby is taking place.
and Manchester United
from the north west of England are rivals for trophies. The biannual league matches are considered by some critics to be the biggest games of the season. Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard
also believes this to be true.
and FC Levadia Tallinn
.
have taken place between the fans, especially before or after the derby in many regions of Athens.
is considered as one of the most tense match among the Derbies of Budapest. Their rivalry dates back to the 1930s when Újpest started winning their first titles.
.
and Ferencvárosi TC dates back to the 1950s when Honvéd won five Hungarian League titles with playes like Ferenc Puskás
and József Bozsik
. The rival revived in the 1980s when Honvéd ruled again the Hungarian championsships with players like Lajos Détári
.
adopted professionalism. Since then, a rivalry has developed between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers
.
While there have been many examples over the years of the notability of the fixture and the rivalry to the supporters of each club, one of the more recent incidents of note is the signing of Tony Grant
and James Keddy
by Bohs from Rovers, which led to a pig's head being thrown onto the pitch during their first game versus their old club, a gesture aimed at Grant in particular. Matches involving both teams have occasionally been accompanied by instances of hooliganism. Recent incidents have included the vandalism of the monument commemorating the former home of Shamrock Rovers, Glenmalure Park
, and two instances of crowd trouble at Dalymount Park in 2000 and Richmond Park
in 2003, with the latter resulting in the eviction of Rovers from the Inchicore
venue.
Attendance at the fixture has generally followed the same sliding trend as the rest of the League's fixtures over the last forty years, though attendances have risen since Rovers' move to Tallaght
.
in the north-east of the Ireland
. The tie has become much more intense since Dundalks promotion to the Premier Division in 2008.
football between Internazionale
and Juventus
. It is unique in Italian football because, until the 2006–07 season, the derby was the only match which had always been played in Serie A
. In the 2006–07 Serie A season, for the first time, this derby was not played as Juventus had been relegated to Serie B due to the Calciopoli scandal. The Derby d'Italia (Italian for "Derby of Italy") was coined back in 1967 by the Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera as the bi-annual football fixture in Italian football between Inter and Juventus.
Once Juventus returned to Serie A, the fixture resumed and the first one held was a fiercely contested draw (the first draw in the fixture since 2001). The two teams also have the highest goals total in Serie A history.
clubs A.C. Milan
and F.C. Internazionale Milano
(Inter). It is usually a semiannual fixture in the Italian football league Serie A
; however, the derby has also taken place in the Coppa Italia
and the UEFA Champions League
. It is called "Derby della Madonnina
" in honour of one of the main sights of the city of Milan, the statue of the virgin Mary on the top of the Duomo, which is usually called "Madonnina".
The most infamous of the derby matches between Milan and Inter was the second leg of the Champions' League
quarterfinal on 12 April 2005. The game was abandoned after Milan goal keeper Dida was hit by a flare
.
. It was particularly intense between 1920 and 1940 because the clubs frequently confronted each other in decisive matches.
is that between AFC Ajax and Feyenoord, known as De Klassieker
(The Classic). Both clubs have won the Dutch national championship numerous times and, along with PSV, have dominated the Dutch league
since the beginning of professional football in Holland in the 1950s. Ajax has been the more successful of the two, and is renowned for its technical style of play, while Feyenoord has the blue collar appeal closely associated with Rotterdam
as a port city.
On occasions the rivalry has turned violent. In 1997, fans of the two teams clashed in a field, known as the Battle of Beverwijk. One fan was killed and many were injured. More recently, in 2004 during a pitch invasion Jorge Acuna
was put into hospital after being attacked by a fan.
's 'Big Two' Glentoran
and Linfield
, the two most successful clubs in the history of Northern Irish football
. Although both clubs are traditionally associated with the Unionist
/Loyalist
tendency of Northern Irish politics (and thus also have separate rivalries with the traditionally Nationalist
/Republican
Cliftonville
) a fierce rivalry has built up between the two clubs due to their dominance of local football.
The clubs traditionally face each other on Boxing Day
. Games between the two sides have frequently been marred by outbreaks of hooliganism. and even the appearance of animals at the 1985 Irish Cup
final. The 2008 Boxing Day game was marred by some particularly violent scenes, with the game temporarily halted due to missiles being thrown onto the pitch. The incident led to the Irish Football Association
suspending the traditional holiday fixture for two years in an attempt to control the violent rivalry. The ban was lifted on appeal in March 2009, although the clubs face a potential fine of £40,000 if there is more crowd trouble.
The dominance of the two clubs is demonstrated by the frequency with which they have faced each other in domestic cup finals. As of 2010 the teams have contested the final of the Irish Cup 14 times, the Irish League Cup eight times and the County Antrim Shield
17 times, while they have also faced each other in the finals of the defunct Gold Cup
(12 times) and Irish League Floodlit Cup
(once).
's arch rival is CSKA Moscow; although this is a relatively recent rivalry having only emerged in the last twenty years. Seven of ten matches with the largest audience in Russian Premier League (including top three) were Spartak-CSKA derbies.
and Samara
have historical rivalry of their football teams: Rubin and Krylia Sovetov. It is often called Volga derby.
derby was a first non-Moscow derby in Russian Premier-league.
derby is between Scottish Premier League
teams Celtic
and Rangers
. Both clubs play in Glasgow
, Scotland
and the match is one of the oldest derbies in the world, dating back to 1888, the year of Celtic's creation. The Old Firm derby is also one of the most contested matches in the world, with over 380 games having been played. The matches are played at either Ibrox Stadium
with 51,000 fans or Celtic Park
in front of 60,000. In some cases, the match is played at Hampden Park
, if the tie happens to be a Scottish Cup or Scottish League Cup final or semi-final. Combined, the teams have won a total of 94 and a half league titles, with Rangers currently (as of 15 May 2011) ahead with 53 and a half to Celtic's 42.
Rangers are considered a Protestant club with Unionist and loyalist supporters, while Celtic are considered a Catholic
club with Republican and Nationalist supporters. It has long had connections with the conflict
in Northern Ireland
, with thousands of fans from Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland
making the trip to Scotland for these matches. There is even violence in Northern Ireland following Old Firm games. In 1980, around 9,000 fans fought an on-pitch battle in the aftermath of Celtic's 1–0 victory in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. This remains the worst invasion onto a football pitch ever reported. The Old Firm rivalry fuels many assaults and many deaths on Old Firm Derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms increase ninefold over normal levels, and journalist Franklin Foer
noted that in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, and hundreds and thousands of assaults.
The highest aggregate score in the three major domestic competitions between the Old Firm clubs is eight goals, and this has happened on eight separate occasions: 4–4 twice (Scottish Cup
on 16/2/1956, Premier League on 22/3/1986); Celtic 5 Rangers 3 twice (Scottish Cup on 6/2/1892 and League on 22/9/1894); Celtic 6 Rangers 2 three times (League on 14/12/1895, 10/9/1938, and 27/8/2000); Celtic 7 Rangers 1 once (League Cup
Final on 19/10/1957). The latter result is the biggest margin of victory for either side in any official Old Firm match.
The record attendance for the Old Firm derby is 132,870 for the 1969 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park
, won 4–0 by Celtic.
's derby it replaced the pre-World War II
rivalry between BSK and SK Jugoslavija
. FK Partizan
was founded in 1945 as the football section of the central club of the Yugoslav Army
. Red Star
was founded in 1945 as well but with close ties to the Ministry of Interior at its beginning. These two clubs were dominant in the post-1945 Yugoslav First League
with Red Star winning 19 and Partizan 11 Yugoslav Championships. The matches of these two against Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb
, the third and fourth respectively in number of titles, was similar in intensity mostly because of the Serbo-Croat rivalry, and the four clubs were known as Velika četvorka (the big 4). After the break-up of SFR Yugoslavia in 1992 the rivalry between Partizan and Red Star continued, having until 2010 only once the national championship not been won by some of the two, with Partizan winning further 11 and Red Star 6 national championships. The rivalry between the two clubs is known to be fierce and violent.
Red Star fans are named Delije
(Heroes) and FK Partizan fans are named Grobari
(Undertakers or Gravediggers). Because of violent actions between hooligans, many people have been hurt in fights. There are several cases of off-stadium deaths in clashes between supporters of these teams, as well as one case of an on-stadium killing, when in 1999 a Grobari member, using a hand-held rocket-launcher, killed a supporter of Red Star by sending a missile from the south stand to the north one, where Delije are traditionally stationed.
Traditionally, especially during the Franco regime, Espanyol was seen by the majority of Barcelona
's citizens as a club which cultivated a kind of compliance to the central authority, in stark contrast to Barça's revolutionary spirit.
Over the last years the derby is less political as Espanyol translated its official name and anthem from Spanish to Catalan
.
and Real Madrid
in Spain is generally considered to be one of the biggest in football. From the start the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain, Catalonia
and Castile
respectively, as well as the cities of Madrid
and Barcelona
.
In the 1950s, the rivalry was intensified further when the clubs disputed the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano
, who finally played for Real Madrid and was key in the subsequent success achieved by the club.
The last meeting was at the Spanish super cup (community shield) a pre-season tournament in August 2011, with Barcelona winning 3-2.
in Zürich
. This led to calls for football matches to be played at lunchtime and alcohol to be banned in the stadium.
: Chivas of Guadalajara
and América
of Mexico City. Chivas is known for a long-standing tradition of fielding only Mexican-born players, contrasting with América, which typically hires famous foreigners. América is owned by Televisa
, the main communications company in Mexico, and thus has a large fan base across the country. Guadalajara also has a large supporter base nationwide (and is owned by Jorge Vergara
, through his company Omnilife).
This match is sometimes seen as the match of the 'capitalinos', the inhabitants of Mexico City, versus the 'provincianos', the people from the rest of the country. Both teams have been very successful, with Guadalajara having won 11 championships, and America 10.
, Argentina
are the protagonists of what is known as the Superclásico (Superderby Spanish
, clásico – meaning classic– is the word used instead of derby in Argentina). Boca Juniors is traditionally regarded as the club of Argentina's working class, in contrast with the supposedly more upper-class support base of cross-town Atlético River Plate. The rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate
is intense, and the team's fans usually take to distributing posters to tease the other after a defeat between them or even a loss in any major competition, or to show off after winning the local league or an international championship.
In 2004, British newspaper The Observer
made a list of 50 sporting things you must do before you die, with Watch Boca Juniors Play River Plate in Buenos Aires at the top of the list. Due to their huge fan bases (Boca has 40% of the Argentine population and River 33% (contrary to the popular claim that Boca is club of the half plus one (la mitad más uno)), and remarkable success, the enmity encompasses a major part of the country's populace. Known worldwide for the passion of the fans, the stands of both teams are loaded with passionate songs (often based on popular Argentine rock band tunes) against their rivals, fireworks, flags and rolls of paper. Matches sometimes end in riots between the hardest supporters of both sides or against the police. Tourists from around the globe come to Argentina to watch the match, sometimes with travel packages that include a ticket to the Superclásico
, in the south of the Greater Buenos Aires
, but both teams have got fans in all the country. Independiente
is the third most popular team in Argentina and Racing
the fourth, and are respectively the 3rd and 5th successful teams in terms of the total number of league championships won.
This city is divided by this match. This teams are very popular on La plata, Gimnasia lost A Serie in 2011
. It was not until 22 August 1943 that the two sides faced each other for the first time, in a Guayaquil League match. Sporting their distinctive yellow jerseys, Los Canarios defeated El Eléctrico 4-3, with Pedro Villalta scoring a late winner for Barcelona. It was a match that would forever be remembered as The Derby of the Posts, due to the number of times that the Emelec forwards struck the woodwork.
In 1948, the local derby received a name of its own in a preview in the newspaper El Universo, becoming known forever more as El Clásico del Astillero (The Shipyard Derby).
In 1990 proved to be a very special year in the history of El Clásico del Astillero, with the two sides facing off in a Copa Libertadores quarter-final second leg on 29 August. Barcelona advanced to the semis after a 1-0 win. This derby is also called "El partido inmortal del fútbol Ecuatoriano" (English: The immortal Ecuadorian football game).
and Universitario de Deportes
. The rivalry between these two clubs started in their first game on September 23, 1928 when the two first faced off in a violent game. Both clubs come from the capital city, Lima
, and between them have 49 national cups, being Universitario the most successful of all time of all time with 25 cups, followed by Alianza with 22. They both hold the biggest fan base in the country, mostly referred to "Las dos mitades del Pais" (The two halfs of the country) due to the fact that when they play the whole country stops and watch the game. Alianza and Universitario about 75-80% of the fan base in Peru. The match is characterized by huge crowds, intense play and sometimes huge fight between their respectives barras bravas
, La Trinchera Norte for Universitario and Comando Svr for Alianza.
an Clásico is the confrontation between the two greatest teams of Montevideo
, Nacional
and Peñarol
. Both teams have played a large part in developing South American football and are respected in the Americas and worldwide. Together they sum up 8 Copa Libertadores
and 6 Intercontinental Cups
.
The 0–0 draw of 14 April 1990, had after a protracted fight, 22 red cards, 11 for each side (Nacional-9 field players and 2 bench players). The match ended at 85 minutes because of the rule that each team needs a minimum of 7 players. The 1–1 match of 26 November 2000 ended in another confrontation including punching and kicking after which 9 players had to spend a month in jail along with one of the coaches. Two editions of the match were played abroad, one in La Plata
(Argentina) in 1960, the other in La Coruña (Spain) in 2005.
, these teams faced each other 502 times, resulting in 180 victories for Peñarol and 162 for Nacional.
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
as well as matches between teams further apart. Footballing rivalries manifest themselves in many ways. Fierce conflicts between supporter groups, large media coverage, high television viewing figures and, in some cases, bitter controversy can be both causes and consequences of high-profile rivalries.
USMAlger vs MCAlger
Also known as "Le Derby Algerois", is the biggest Derby in Algeria between USMAlger and MCAlger due to the fact that both teams come from the same neighborhood and that is Bab El Oued. One can tell that these two teams are meeting just by taking a walk in Algiers, you can see huge flags from the two teams hanging from buildings and balconies, not to mention the mass presence of police forces in case anything goes down.Al-Ahly vs Zamalek
Th Cairo derby is a rivalry in Egypt between Al-AhlyAl-Ahly
Al-Ahly Sports Club , commonly known as simply Al-Ahly, is an Egyptian sporting club. Founded in April 1907, Al-Ahly was named in 2000 by the Confederation of African Football as the "African Club of the Century"...
& Zamalek.
Al-Ahly has the biggest win between the two teams since the league commenced in 1948, winning 6–1 at their home Cairo Stadium in 2002.
The derby matches require foreign referees to officiate them.
Asante Kotoko vs Hearts of Oak
A notable rivalry in GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
is between Accra Hearts of Oak SC and Asante Kotoko. Kotoko represent Ghana's second largest city, Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, while Hearts of Oak play their home games in the capital, Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
. In 2001, a match between the two teams in Accra resulted in the worst football-related disaster
Accra Sports Stadium disaster
The Accra Sports Stadium disaster occurred at the Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana on May 9, 2001. It took the lives of 127 people, making it the worst stadium disaster to have ever taken place in Africa. It occurred during a match between Ghana's two most successful football teams, Accra Hearts...
in African history, when 127 people were killed by a stampede which broke out after clashes between supporters and police.
Raja Casablanca vs Wydad Casablanca
Raja Casablanca and Wydad Casablanca is a derby based in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
's largest city Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. The largest result between the two sides was Raja's 5–1 win over Wydad in 1995. The derby is played in Mohamed V Stadium with a capacity of 67,000 seats. The first derby was held the same year as the launch of the Moroccan championship, in 1956-1957.
Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates
The Soweto derby is a derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's two most historically successful clubs, both situated in the township of Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. The derby is often contested in the 90,000 seater FNB Stadium
FNB Stadium
Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium for commercial purposes, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World...
in order to accommodate the large crowds. The derby has resulted in a number of notable incidents. These include two major riots, the Ellis Park
Ellis Park Stadium disaster
The Ellis Park Stadium disaster was the worst sporting accident in South African history. On 11 April 2001, spectators poured into the Ellis Park Stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa for the local derby football match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates...
and Orkney Stadium
Orkney Stadium Disaster
The Orkney Stadium Disaster at the Oppenheimer Stadium in the city of Orkney, North West Province, South Africa was the second worst sporting incident in South African history, with 42 deaths....
disasters. Both occurred at a Soweto derby game, and resulted in the deaths of 43 and 42 people respectively.
Club Africain vs Espérance
In Tunisian football, the Tunis derby is the local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Tunis, Club Africain and Espérance. The derby is played in Rades in the Stade 7 Novembre stadium due to its larger capacity of 65,000 seats. Both teams play their home games in the Stade Olympique d'El Menzah stadium which has a capacity of 45,000 seats.Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory
The rivalry involves Australia's Sydney FCSydney FC
Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
and Melbourne Victory FC and is also called The City Derby. The rivalry came about after the inception of the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. Melbourne and Sydney were the two largest cities in Australia. It carries on a longstanding rivalry between the two cities, who compete both in sport and in politics.
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Club
The event known as the Kolkata Derby involves two football clubs from KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In Indian football, Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
are rivals. Mohun Bagan, being the oldest club in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(and in Asia also), has a large fan base among the older residents of Kolkata. East Bengal club is mostly popular among the people who come from East Bengal (now known as Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
).
These two clubs met in 1925 for the first time and they have played almost 298 matches since then(as on 19 November 2011). Out of this number, East Bengal has beaten Mohun Bagan 112 times while Mohun Bagan has beaten East Bengal 84 times.
Rapid Wien vs Austria Wien
The Viennese derby is a match between city rivals RapidSK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
and Austria
FK Austria Wien
Fußballklub Austria Wien is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. They are considered the most successful club in Austria, having won the highest Austrian Bundesliga 23 times, the Austrian Cup 27 times and the Austrian Supercup 6 times. They also reached the UEFA...
. The rivalry dates back to the two clubs' foundations: Rapid was formed as a working-class club, whereas Austria traditionally represented the bourgeois city centre elite. As of 4 October 2010, 294 league matches have been played. Rapid won 122 times, Austria won 107 times, while 65 matches ended in a draw.
Sarajevo vs Željezničar
The Sarajevo derby is a match between city rivals FK Željezničar and FK SarajevoFK Sarajevo
FK Sarajevo is a professional football club based in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina and is one of the most popular clubs in the country. Founded on October 24, 1946, the club was the most successful club from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in former Yugoslavia, winning two First League...
. So far (as of 5 May 2011), a total of 112 matches were played in all competitions. Sarajevo won 37 times and Željezničar won 35 times, while 40 matches ended with a draw. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
became independent in 1992, as of July 2011 the teams have played each other 27 times in the Bosnian championship
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the top football league in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the country's most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs with last two teams relegated at the end of every season....
; Sarajevo won 9 times, Željezničar won 7 times, with 11 draws.
Zrinjski vs Velež
The Mostar derbyMostar derby
The Mostar derby is a football rivalry in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina between HŠK Zrinjski and FK Velež. The derby took place for the first time in 2000 and was played until 2003 when Velež was relegated from the Premijer liga....
is a football rivalry in Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
between HŠK Zrinjski
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar is a football team from the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been one of the top teams in the country over the years....
and FK Velež. The Mostar derby is special because of its political and national tensions. Mostar was in war in the near past, and in that war Zrinjski (West Mostar, Croatian part of the city) and Velež (East Mostar, Bosniak part of the city) were on different sides. The wounds of the war are still fresh which might be the reason why this derby is always accompanied by riots and violence.
CSKA Sofia vs Levski Sofia
This match is known as the so-called "Eternal derby" in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Historically the rivalry between Levski Sofia
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
and CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
is related to the rivalry between the Communist Army and people's support for the two teams, but this is no longer the case. There is fierce hatred between the fans of the clubs and there are often fights. On occasions up to 1500 police officers have been required to prevent trouble from occurring.
Levski's best results are 7:1, 7:2 and 5:0. CSKA's best results are two wins with 5:0 and one with 6:2 in a friendly game.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Botev Plovdiv
This, the second biggest rivalry in Bulgaria, pits teams from the second biggest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv, against each other. Botev Plovdiv have had more success historically, but now their rivals LokomotivPFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv...
can gloat that their rivals are in the lower leagues. Nonetheless this rivalry is still hot and with Botev's rise in form, there will be no lack of pressure when these teams line up in the future.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Hajduk Split
The Eternal Derby (Vječni Derbi) is between CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n clubs Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
and Hajduk Split. Both teams are amongst the strongest in the country and have strong support groups, which are the Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...
for Dinamo and Torcida
Torcida Split
Torcida is a Hajduk Split supporters group, from Croatia, founded on 28 October 1950. The name "Torcida" is the Brazilian Portuguese word for "supporters". Club fans operate from Zrinsko Frankopanska-17, Split...
for Hajduk.
Hajduk is from Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
(Split) and Dinamo is from the Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
region.
In 2004, a friendly match between the teams was abandoned after fans threw objects including bottles and knives onto the pitch. The situation became intolerable after a Dinamo player Edin Mujčin
Edin Mujcin
Edin Mujčin is a Bosnian football player.Mujčin moved to Croatia during the Bosnian war.Mujčin spent most of his career with Croatian top team Dinamo Zagreb, winning several national titles and appearing in both UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup...
was sent off and tensions in the stands grew. Police said that before the match, 25 fans had been arrested.
Sparta Prague vs Slavia
AC Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague, both based in Prague, Czech Republic, first faced off in 1896 match which ended in a 0-0 draw. As of September 2010, the two teams had faced each other a total of 274 times. Sparta Prague won 125 of those matches, with 64 draws and 86 victories for Slavia.Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
are neighbouring north London clubs, situated less than four miles from each other, hence the footballing rivalry. The rivalry dates back to 1919, when Arsenal were awarded promotion ahead of Tottenham, despite Tottenham finishing above them. Arsenal have won many more League titles (13 to Spurs' 2), and have won ten FA Cups to Tottenham's eight, many of these in recent years. However, Spurs have won more European trophies and League Cups; Arsenal more Community Shields.
An example in recent years that highlights the rivalry is the move of Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
from Tottenham to Arsenal. At the time Campbell was considered one of the best defenders in the country and was in demand from teams such as Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Inter Milan. Campbell's decision to join close rivals Arsenal came as a shock to fans. The move even prompted death threats from fans upset that he chose Arsenal. William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
has also made the switch, but from Arsenal to Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the 2010-2011 season.
Aston Villa vs Birmingham City
This is the match between the two main Birmingham clubs. Aston villa have won most of these matches, but Birmingham are starting to make a comeback in these derbies. An example would be when Birmingham knocked Villa out of the Carling Cup in the quarter finals. They then went on to win the trophy. Aston villa trophies: First div:7 League cup:5 FA cup:7 European cup:1 Birmingham City trophies: League cup:2Aston villa's average crowd is more than the capacity of st Andrews, partly because Villa fans ripped up quite a few seats in the cup quarter finals. Most of Aston Villa's trophies were won before WW1.
Birmingham won the league cup in the 1960s and recently in 2011, putting them through to the Europa League.
Blackburn Rovers vs Burnley
Brighton and Hove Albion vs Crystal PalaceEverton vs Liverpool
The homes of English teams EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
are so close that the Merseyside Derby is a very local derby. In fact, Liverpool FC was formed when Everton, the original team in the city, moved from Anfield to Goodison Park over a rent dispute. Everton's previous landlord founded Liverpool as his own team to play in the then empty Anfield stadium. The derby is often known as the "friendly" derby, with families in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
often split down the middle; it is one of the few local derbies where fan segregation is not enforced. Liverpool are the more successful of the clubs, winning eighteen league titles and five European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
s and other European trophies, while Everton have won one European trophy and 9 league titles in total. The relationship became somewhat less friendly and more heated after the Heysel
Heysel
Heysel or Heizel , is an area in Brussels and may in particular refer to:* Heysel Park, a part of Brussels* Heysel Metro Station, one of the metro stations on line 6 of the Brussels Metro...
tragedy which resulted in the death of 39 Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
fans during the 1985 European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
Final: because of this, UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
enforced a five-year ban on all English clubs from European competition (Liverpool were initially banned for a further three years after other English clubs would be allowed back in, but in the event were only banned for one extra year). The ban on all English clubs caused outrage for many Everton fans as they were denied the chance to compete in the European Cup the following season. Everton had just been voted the European team of the season, and many people believed they would go on to achieve great things including winning the 1986 European Cup. However, the ban on English clubs meant that would not happen. Everton won the League championship again in 1987, but were again denied entry to the European Cup the following season. The team quickly broke up as the best players moved abroad for European football, and the team went into a decline from which it has never really recovered. This fixture has seen more red cards than any other in English history and it is always a cauldron of noise no matter on which side of Stanley Park the derby is taking place.
Liverpool vs Manchester United
Being the two most successful teams in English football history, LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
from the north west of England are rivals for trophies. The biannual league matches are considered by some critics to be the biggest games of the season. Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
also believes this to be true.
Manchester United vs Leeds United
Flora Tallinn vs Levadia Tallinn
The Tallinn derby is a football rivality between two Estonian major clubs FC Flora TallinnFC Flora Tallinn
MTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system...
and FC Levadia Tallinn
FC Levadia Tallinn
MTÜ SK FC Levadia Tallinn is an Estonian football club based in Tallinn. The club was founded in 1998, under the name FC Levadia Maardu. FC Levadia currently play in the Meistriliiga, the highest level of Estonian football...
.
Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos
This rivalry is between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. Some violent incidentsMihalis Filopoulos
Mihalis Filopoulos was a 22 year old Panathinaikos fan who was stabbed to death on March 29, 2007 at Paiania, a town near Athens, Greece, during a pre-arranged clash with rival hooligans of Olympiacos...
have taken place between the fans, especially before or after the derby in many regions of Athens.
Ferencváros vs Újpest
The rivalry between Ferencváros and ÚjpestÚjpest FC
Újpest Football Club , earlier known as Újpesti TE and Újpesti Dózsa, is a Hungarian football club, based in Újpest, Budapest. The club's colours are purple and white...
is considered as one of the most tense match among the Derbies of Budapest. Their rivalry dates back to the 1930s when Újpest started winning their first titles.
Ferencváros vs MTK Budapest
This rivalry dates back to the 1900s when both clubs reigned the Hungarian League. The tension between the two clubs is based on racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
.
Ferencváros vs Honvéd
The rivalry between Budapest Honvéd FCBudapest Honvéd FC
Budapest Honvéd FC |football]] team. "Honved" means the Homeland Defense. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944. The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian...
and Ferencvárosi TC dates back to the 1950s when Honvéd won five Hungarian League titles with playes like Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
and József Bozsik
József Bozsik
József Bozsik was a Hungarian footballer. He represented Hungary in various international tournaments, and is a member of the Mighty Magyars.-Biography:...
. The rival revived in the 1980s when Honvéd ruled again the Hungarian championsships with players like Lajos Détári
Lajos Détári
Lajos Détári is a football manager and a retired Hungarian football midfielder. At the height of his career , he was a well-respected player throughout Europe, winning "Player of the Year" titles in Hungary, Greece and Switzerland.-Playing career:Détári made his debut for the Hungarian national...
.
Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers
Following the demise of Drumcondra in the 1960s, Bohemian Football ClubBohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
adopted professionalism. Since then, a rivalry has developed between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
.
While there have been many examples over the years of the notability of the fixture and the rivalry to the supporters of each club, one of the more recent incidents of note is the signing of Tony Grant
Tony Grant (Irish footballer)
Tony Grant is an Irish professional footballer.-Early years:Starting as a trainee with Leeds United, Grant signed for Preston North End in November 1995...
and James Keddy
James Keddy
James Keddy is a former Irish footballer who is currently managing Mount Merrion YMCA F.C..-Career:Keddy made his League of Ireland debut for Home Farm on the 13th of October 1991...
by Bohs from Rovers, which led to a pig's head being thrown onto the pitch during their first game versus their old club, a gesture aimed at Grant in particular. Matches involving both teams have occasionally been accompanied by instances of hooliganism. Recent incidents have included the vandalism of the monument commemorating the former home of Shamrock Rovers, Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...
, and two instances of crowd trouble at Dalymount Park in 2000 and Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
in 2003, with the latter resulting in the eviction of Rovers from the Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
venue.
Attendance at the fixture has generally followed the same sliding trend as the rest of the League's fixtures over the last forty years, though attendances have risen since Rovers' move to Tallaght
Tallaght Stadium
Tallaght Stadium is a football stadium in the Southside suburb of Tallaght, Dublin. Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium back in July 1996...
.
Drogheda United vs Dundalk
The Louth Derby is reguarded as one of the biggets fixtures in the league for these two clubs from County LouthCounty Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
in the north-east of the Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The tie has become much more intense since Dundalks promotion to the Premier Division in 2008.
Galway United vs Sligo Rovers
The Connacht derby was traditionally a First Division derby but in recent years the success of both clubs means it is now a regular Premier Division encounter. Both teams regularly beat each other, resulting in an almost exact record for both, however in recent seasons Sligo have come out on top most times. The derby is possibly one of the friendliest in the world, with both clubs maintaining good relations with each other and violence at matches non-existent.Internazionale vs Juventus
The Derby d'Italia is a football fixture in ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
football between Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. It is unique in Italian football because, until the 2006–07 season, the derby was the only match which had always been played in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. In the 2006–07 Serie A season, for the first time, this derby was not played as Juventus had been relegated to Serie B due to the Calciopoli scandal. The Derby d'Italia (Italian for "Derby of Italy") was coined back in 1967 by the Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera as the bi-annual football fixture in Italian football between Inter and Juventus.
Once Juventus returned to Serie A, the fixture resumed and the first one held was a fiercely contested draw (the first draw in the fixture since 2001). The two teams also have the highest goals total in Serie A history.
Internazionale vs Milan
Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
clubs A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
(Inter). It is usually a semiannual fixture in the Italian football league Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
; however, the derby has also taken place in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
and the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. It is called "Derby della Madonnina
Derby della Madonnina
Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the Italian clubs Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano. It is a hotly contested local derby and is one of the most followed derbies in football...
" in honour of one of the main sights of the city of Milan, the statue of the virgin Mary on the top of the Duomo, which is usually called "Madonnina".
The most infamous of the derby matches between Milan and Inter was the second leg of the Champions' League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
quarterfinal on 12 April 2005. The game was abandoned after Milan goal keeper Dida was hit by a flare
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
.
Napoli vs Avellino; Avellino vs Salernitana; Napoli vs Salernitana
Floriana vs Sliema Wanderers
and are the two most successful football teams on the Maltese Islands. Floriana have won 25 Maltese Football League championships and Sliema have won 26. Their rivalry stems from a game in 1910, the first in the then newly-formed League. The match was abandoned after a disputed goal and replayed several weeks later; Floriana won the replay and went on to win the League. The rivalry is known as the Old Firm after the rivalry between and in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was particularly intense between 1920 and 1940 because the clubs frequently confronted each other in decisive matches.
Ajax vs Feyenoord
A rivalry in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
is that between AFC Ajax and Feyenoord, known as De Klassieker
Klassieker
De Klassieker is the main football rivalry of the Netherlands. It is between Ajax, of Amsterdam and Feyenoord, of Rotterdam and is highly contested. The record attendance was on 9 January 1966, when 65,562 watched in Rotterdam....
(The Classic). Both clubs have won the Dutch national championship numerous times and, along with PSV, have dominated the Dutch league
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
since the beginning of professional football in Holland in the 1950s. Ajax has been the more successful of the two, and is renowned for its technical style of play, while Feyenoord has the blue collar appeal closely associated with Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
as a port city.
On occasions the rivalry has turned violent. In 1997, fans of the two teams clashed in a field, known as the Battle of Beverwijk. One fan was killed and many were injured. More recently, in 2004 during a pitch invasion Jorge Acuna
Jorge Acuña
Jorge Acuña is a Chilean footballer. He is currently playing for Unión San Felipe on Chilean Primera División- Early career :In Chile, Acuña made his professional debut with Unión Española in 1999...
was put into hospital after being attacked by a fan.
Glentoran vs Linfield
This derby revolves around the rivalry between BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
's 'Big Two' Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
and Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
, the two most successful clubs in the history of Northern Irish football
Association football in Northern Ireland
Association football in Northern Ireland, widely known as football or sometimes as soccer , is one of the most popular sports in Northern Ireland...
. Although both clubs are traditionally associated with the Unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
/Loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
tendency of Northern Irish politics (and thus also have separate rivalries with the traditionally Nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
/Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
Cliftonville
Cliftonville F.C.
Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...
) a fierce rivalry has built up between the two clubs due to their dominance of local football.
The clubs traditionally face each other on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
. Games between the two sides have frequently been marred by outbreaks of hooliganism. and even the appearance of animals at the 1985 Irish Cup
Irish Cup
For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
final. The 2008 Boxing Day game was marred by some particularly violent scenes, with the game temporarily halted due to missiles being thrown onto the pitch. The incident led to the Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
suspending the traditional holiday fixture for two years in an attempt to control the violent rivalry. The ban was lifted on appeal in March 2009, although the clubs face a potential fine of £40,000 if there is more crowd trouble.
The dominance of the two clubs is demonstrated by the frequency with which they have faced each other in domestic cup finals. As of 2010 the teams have contested the final of the Irish Cup 14 times, the Irish League Cup eight times and the County Antrim Shield
County Antrim Shield
The County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
17 times, while they have also faced each other in the finals of the defunct Gold Cup
Gold Cup (Northern Ireland)
The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association....
(12 times) and Irish League Floodlit Cup
Irish League Floodlit Cup
The Irish League Floodlit Cup was an annual football competition organised by the Irish Football League in the late-1980s and 1990s.- History :...
(once).
Spartak Moscow vs CSKA Moscow
SpartakFC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
's arch rival is CSKA Moscow; although this is a relatively recent rivalry having only emerged in the last twenty years. Seven of ten matches with the largest audience in Russian Premier League (including top three) were Spartak-CSKA derbies.
Rubin Kazan vs KS Samara
Neighbouring large cities of KazanKazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
and Samara
Samara, Russia
Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
have historical rivalry of their football teams: Rubin and Krylia Sovetov. It is often called Volga derby.
Kuban Krasnoder vs FC Krasnodar
KrasnodarKrasnodar
Krasnodar is a city in Southern Russia, located on the Kuban River about northeast of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai . Population: -Name:...
derby was a first non-Moscow derby in Russian Premier-league.
Celtic vs Rangers
The Old FirmOld Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
derby is between Scottish Premier League
Football in Scotland
Association football is the national sport in Scotland and highly popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite...
teams Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Both clubs play in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the match is one of the oldest derbies in the world, dating back to 1888, the year of Celtic's creation. The Old Firm derby is also one of the most contested matches in the world, with over 380 games having been played. The matches are played at either Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
with 51,000 fans or Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in front of 60,000. In some cases, the match is played at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, if the tie happens to be a Scottish Cup or Scottish League Cup final or semi-final. Combined, the teams have won a total of 94 and a half league titles, with Rangers currently (as of 15 May 2011) ahead with 53 and a half to Celtic's 42.
Rangers are considered a Protestant club with Unionist and loyalist supporters, while Celtic are considered a Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
club with Republican and Nationalist supporters. It has long had connections with the conflict
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, with thousands of fans from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
making the trip to Scotland for these matches. There is even violence in Northern Ireland following Old Firm games. In 1980, around 9,000 fans fought an on-pitch battle in the aftermath of Celtic's 1–0 victory in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. This remains the worst invasion onto a football pitch ever reported. The Old Firm rivalry fuels many assaults and many deaths on Old Firm Derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms increase ninefold over normal levels, and journalist Franklin Foer
Franklin Foer
Franklin Foer is an American journalist and editor-at-large for The New Republic. Foer is a 2012 Bernard L. Schwartz fellow at the New America Foundation as of Sept...
noted that in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, and hundreds and thousands of assaults.
The highest aggregate score in the three major domestic competitions between the Old Firm clubs is eight goals, and this has happened on eight separate occasions: 4–4 twice (Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
on 16/2/1956, Premier League on 22/3/1986); Celtic 5 Rangers 3 twice (Scottish Cup on 6/2/1892 and League on 22/9/1894); Celtic 6 Rangers 2 three times (League on 14/12/1895, 10/9/1938, and 27/8/2000); Celtic 7 Rangers 1 once (League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
Final on 19/10/1957). The latter result is the biggest margin of victory for either side in any official Old Firm match.
The record attendance for the Old Firm derby is 132,870 for the 1969 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, won 4–0 by Celtic.
Crvena Zvezda vs Partizan
The eternal derby (Večiti derbi) also known as BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
's derby it replaced the pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
rivalry between BSK and SK Jugoslavija
SK Jugoslavija
Sportski klub Jugoslavija, commonly known as SK Jugoslavija was a Serbian football club from Belgrade. It was originally formed as SK Velika Srbija in 1913 and changed its name to SK Jugoslavija in 1919.-History:...
. FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
was founded in 1945 as the football section of the central club of the Yugoslav Army
Yugoslav Army
Aside from the Yugoslav People's Army, the terms Yugoslav Army, Army of Yugoslavia, or Military of Yugoslavia may refer to:* Yugoslav Partisans , the Yugoslav resistance army during World War II...
. Red Star
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
was founded in 1945 as well but with close ties to the Ministry of Interior at its beginning. These two clubs were dominant in the post-1945 Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
with Red Star winning 19 and Partizan 11 Yugoslav Championships. The matches of these two against Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
, the third and fourth respectively in number of titles, was similar in intensity mostly because of the Serbo-Croat rivalry, and the four clubs were known as Velika četvorka (the big 4). After the break-up of SFR Yugoslavia in 1992 the rivalry between Partizan and Red Star continued, having until 2010 only once the national championship not been won by some of the two, with Partizan winning further 11 and Red Star 6 national championships. The rivalry between the two clubs is known to be fierce and violent.
Red Star fans are named Delije
Delije
Delije roughly translated to English as Heroes is an umbrella name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under Red Star Belgrade Sports Society banner....
(Heroes) and FK Partizan fans are named Grobari
Grobari
Grobari are supporters of the Belgrade football club Partizan Belgrade. They are one of two major football fan groups in Serbia...
(Undertakers or Gravediggers). Because of violent actions between hooligans, many people have been hurt in fights. There are several cases of off-stadium deaths in clashes between supporters of these teams, as well as one case of an on-stadium killing, when in 1999 a Grobari member, using a hand-held rocket-launcher, killed a supporter of Red Star by sending a missile from the south stand to the north one, where Delije are traditionally stationed.
Barcelona vs Espanyol
Espanyol (or blanc-i-blaus), being one of the Spanish clubs granted royal patronage, was founded exclusively by Spanish football fans, unlike the multinational nature of FC Barcelona's original board. Its historical ground was in the well-off district of Sarrià.Traditionally, especially during the Franco regime, Espanyol was seen by the majority of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
's citizens as a club which cultivated a kind of compliance to the central authority, in stark contrast to Barça's revolutionary spirit.
Over the last years the derby is less political as Espanyol translated its official name and anthem from Spanish to Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona
The rivalry between FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in Spain is generally considered to be one of the biggest in football. From the start the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
and Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
respectively, as well as the cities of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
In the 1950s, the rivalry was intensified further when the clubs disputed the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
, who finally played for Real Madrid and was key in the subsequent success achieved by the club.
The last meeting was at the Spanish super cup (community shield) a pre-season tournament in August 2011, with Barcelona winning 3-2.
Basel vs Zürich
In May 2009 twelve people were arrested after a match involving Zürich and BaselFC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. This led to calls for football matches to be played at lunchtime and alcohol to be banned in the stadium.
América vs Guadalajara
The El Súper Clásico is a long-standing rivalry between the teams of two cities in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
: Chivas of Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
and América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
of Mexico City. Chivas is known for a long-standing tradition of fielding only Mexican-born players, contrasting with América, which typically hires famous foreigners. América is owned by Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
, the main communications company in Mexico, and thus has a large fan base across the country. Guadalajara also has a large supporter base nationwide (and is owned by Jorge Vergara
Jorge Vergara
Jorge Vergara is a Mexican businessman and film producer. He's the founder of Grupo Omnilife, one of the top 200 corporations in Mexico. Grupo Omnilife owns the football clubs: Club Deportivo Guadalajara of Mexico, C.D...
, through his company Omnilife).
This match is sometimes seen as the match of the 'capitalinos', the inhabitants of Mexico City, versus the 'provincianos', the people from the rest of the country. Both teams have been very successful, with Guadalajara having won 11 championships, and America 10.
Boca Juniors vs River Plate
These two teams from Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
are the protagonists of what is known as the Superclásico (Superderby Spanish
Rioplatense Spanish
Rioplatense Spanish or River Plate Spanish is a dialectal variant of the Spanish language spoken mainly in the areas in and around the Río de la Plata basin of Argentina and Uruguay, and also in Rio Grande do Sul, although features of the dialect are shared with the varieties of Spanish spoken...
, clásico – meaning classic– is the word used instead of derby in Argentina). Boca Juniors is traditionally regarded as the club of Argentina's working class, in contrast with the supposedly more upper-class support base of cross-town Atlético River Plate. The rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
is intense, and the team's fans usually take to distributing posters to tease the other after a defeat between them or even a loss in any major competition, or to show off after winning the local league or an international championship.
In 2004, British newspaper The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
made a list of 50 sporting things you must do before you die, with Watch Boca Juniors Play River Plate in Buenos Aires at the top of the list. Due to their huge fan bases (Boca has 40% of the Argentine population and River 33% (contrary to the popular claim that Boca is club of the half plus one (la mitad más uno)), and remarkable success, the enmity encompasses a major part of the country's populace. Known worldwide for the passion of the fans, the stands of both teams are loaded with passionate songs (often based on popular Argentine rock band tunes) against their rivals, fireworks, flags and rolls of paper. Matches sometimes end in riots between the hardest supporters of both sides or against the police. Tourists from around the globe come to Argentina to watch the match, sometimes with travel packages that include a ticket to the Superclásico
Independiente vs Racing
The Avellaneda derby is the second most important rivalry in Argentine football.In Argentina they call it "El clasico"/"the classic", which is inferior to the "súper clásico". The two teams are located in the city of AvellanedaAvellaneda
Avellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
, in the south of the Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
, but both teams have got fans in all the country. Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
is the third most popular team in Argentina and Racing
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
the fourth, and are respectively the 3rd and 5th successful teams in terms of the total number of league championships won.
Gimnasia vs Estudiantes
derbyThis city is divided by this match. This teams are very popular on La plata, Gimnasia lost A Serie in 2011
Corinthians vs Palmeiras
The rivalry between the supporters of these two Brazilian clubs can turn violent, with the Paulista Derby having the largest number of deaths in the Brazilian soccer history. Corinthians and Palmeiras have decided state championships (Campeonato Paulista), along with regional (Torneio Rio-São Paulo), national (Campeonato Brasileiro) and continental competition (Libertadores Cup of America).Barcelona vs Emelec
Clásico del Astillero is the most important and historically football rivalry in EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. It was not until 22 August 1943 that the two sides faced each other for the first time, in a Guayaquil League match. Sporting their distinctive yellow jerseys, Los Canarios defeated El Eléctrico 4-3, with Pedro Villalta scoring a late winner for Barcelona. It was a match that would forever be remembered as The Derby of the Posts, due to the number of times that the Emelec forwards struck the woodwork.
In 1948, the local derby received a name of its own in a preview in the newspaper El Universo, becoming known forever more as El Clásico del Astillero (The Shipyard Derby).
In 1990 proved to be a very special year in the history of El Clásico del Astillero, with the two sides facing off in a Copa Libertadores quarter-final second leg on 29 August. Barcelona advanced to the semis after a 1-0 win. This derby is also called "El partido inmortal del fútbol Ecuatoriano" (English: The immortal Ecuadorian football game).
Alianza Lima vs Universitario
The Super Clasico (Super Classic) or the Classic of the Classics of Peruvian Football (El Clásico de los Clásicos del Futbol Peruano) is the name given to Peru's biggest football local derby between Alianza LimaAlianza Lima
Club Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...
and Universitario de Deportes
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...
. The rivalry between these two clubs started in their first game on September 23, 1928 when the two first faced off in a violent game. Both clubs come from the capital city, Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, and between them have 49 national cups, being Universitario the most successful of all time of all time with 25 cups, followed by Alianza with 22. They both hold the biggest fan base in the country, mostly referred to "Las dos mitades del Pais" (The two halfs of the country) due to the fact that when they play the whole country stops and watch the game. Alianza and Universitario about 75-80% of the fan base in Peru. The match is characterized by huge crowds, intense play and sometimes huge fight between their respectives barras bravas
Barra Brava
Barra brava is a name for organized supporter groups of football teams in Latin America. This style of supporting is very similar to European ultras. It includes standing throughout the match, singing and other enthusiastic behavior. Some barras bravas have developed reputations for hooliganism...
, La Trinchera Norte for Universitario and Comando Svr for Alianza.
Nacional vs Peñarol
A football rivalry existing since the late 19th century, the UruguayUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an Clásico is the confrontation between the two greatest teams of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
and Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
. Both teams have played a large part in developing South American football and are respected in the Americas and worldwide. Together they sum up 8 Copa Libertadores
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
and 6 Intercontinental Cups
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
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The 0–0 draw of 14 April 1990, had after a protracted fight, 22 red cards, 11 for each side (Nacional-9 field players and 2 bench players). The match ended at 85 minutes because of the rule that each team needs a minimum of 7 players. The 1–1 match of 26 November 2000 ended in another confrontation including punching and kicking after which 9 players had to spend a month in jail along with one of the coaches. Two editions of the match were played abroad, one in La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
(Argentina) in 1960, the other in La Coruña (Spain) in 2005.
, these teams faced each other 502 times, resulting in 180 victories for Peñarol and 162 for Nacional.