Major football rivalries

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This article deals with major football (soccer) rivalries around the world. This includes local derbies as well as matches between teams further apart. Major 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.

Contents 1 South America 1.1 Alianza Lima vs Universitario 1.2 América de Cali vs Atlético Nacional 1.3 América de Cali vs Deportivo Cali 1.4 América de Cali vs Millonarios 1.5 Atlético Mineiro vs Cruzeiro 1.6 Atlético Nacional vs Millonarios 1.7 Barcelona vs Emelec 1.8 Boca Juniors vs River Plate 1.9 Bolivar vs The Strongest 1.10 Botafogo vs Fluminense 1.11 Caracas vs Deportivo Táchira 1.12 Cerro Porteño vs Olimpia 1.13 Colo-Colo vs Universidad de Chile 1.14 Corinthians vs Palmeiras 1.15 Corinthians vs São Paulo 1.16 Flamengo vs Fluminense 1.17 Flamengo vs Vasco da Gama 1.18 Grêmio vs Internacional 1.19 Independiente vs Racing 1.20 Nacional vs Peñarol 1.21 Newell's Old Boys vs Rosario Central 1.22 Palmeiras vs São Paulo 1.23 Universidad Católica vs Universidad de Chile 2 Mexico and Central America 2.1 Águila vs FAS 2.2 Alajuelense vs Saprissa 2.3 América vs Cruz Azul 2.4 América vs Guadalajara 2.5 América vs U.N.A.M 2.6 Atlas vs Guadalajara 2.7 Comunicaciones vs Municipal 2.8 Marathon vs Olimpia 2.9 Monterrey vs Tigres UANL 2.10 Motagua vs Olimpia 3 United States and Canada 3.1 Carolina RailHawks vs Puerto Rico Islanders 3.2 Carolina RailHawks vs Rochester Rhinos 3.3 Chicago Fire vs New England Revolution 3.4 Chivas USA vs Los Angeles Galaxy 3.5 Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC 3.6 Los Angeles Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes 4 Europe (east) 4.1 AEK Athens vs Olympiacos 4.2 Aris Thessaloniki vs PAOK Thessaloniki 4.3 Crvena Zvezda vs Partizan 4.4 CSKA Moscow vs Spartak Moscow 4.5 CSKA Sofia vs Levski Sofia 4.6 Dinamo Bucharest vs Steaua Bucharest 4.7 Dinamo Zagreb vs Hajduk Split 4.8 Dynamo Kyiv vs Shakhtar Donetsk 4.9 Dynamo Kyiv vs Spartak Moscow 4.10 Fenerbahçe vs Galatasaray 4.11 Ferencváros vs Újpest (Hungary) 4.12 Panathinaikos vs Olympiacos 4.13 Olympiacos vs PAOK 4.14 Sarajevo vs Željezničar 4.15 Slavia Prague vs Sparta Prague 4.16 Slovan Bratislava vs Spartak Trnava 4.17 Tirana vs Partizani Tirana 5 Europe (west) 5.1 AIK vs Djurgården 5.2 Ajax vs Feyenoord 5.3 Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven 5.4 Anderlecht vs Club Brugge 5.5 Athletic de Bilbao vs Real Sociedad 5.6 Atlético Baleares vs Real Mallorca 5.7 Atlético de Madrid vs Real Madrid 5.8 Austria Wien vs Rapid Wien 5.9 Barcelona vs Espanyol 5.10 Barcelona vs Real Madrid 5.11 Basel vs Zürich 5.12 Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund 5.13 Benfica vs Porto 5.14 Benfica vs Sporting 5.15 Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04 5.16 Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers 5.17 Brøndby vs Copenhagen 5.18 Deportivo La Coruña vs Celta Vigo 5.19 Fiorentina vs Juventus 5.20 Haka vs HJK 5.21 Internazionale vs Juventus 5.22 Internazionale vs Milan 5.23 Lazio vs Roma 5.24 Lyn vs Vålerenga 5.25 Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain 5.26 Real Betis vs Sevilla 6 United Kingdom 6.1 Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur 6.2 Aston Villa vs Birmingham City 6.3 Blackburn vs Burnley 6.4 Blackpool vs Preston North End 6.5 Bristol City vs Bristol Rovers 6.6 Cardiff City vs Swansea City 6.7 Celtic vs Rangers 6.8 Derby County vs Nottingham Forest 6.9 Everton vs Liverpool 6.10 Glentoran vs Linfield 6.11 Heart of Midlothian vs Hibernian 6.12 Ipswich vs Norwich 6.13 Leeds United vs Manchester United 6.14 Liverpool vs Manchester United 6.15 Manchester City vs Manchester United 6.16 Newcastle United vs Sunderland 6.17 Portsmouth vs Southampton 6.18 Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday 6.19 Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Bromwich Albion 7 Africa 7.1 Al-Ahly vs Zamalek 7.2 Asante Kotoko vs Hearts of Oak 7.3 Club Africain vs Esperance 7.4 JSK vs USMA 7.5 Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates 7.6 Raja Casablanca vs Wydad Casablanca 8 Asia 8.1 East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan 8.2 Esteghlal vs Persepolis 8.3 Melbourne vs Sydney 8.4 Newcastle United Jets vs Central Coast Mariners 8.5 FC Seoul vs Suwon Samsung 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

[edit] South America

[edit] Alianza Lima vs Universitario

The Peruvian Super Classic (Superclásico Peruano) is the name given to Peru's biggest football local derby between Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes. The rivalry started on their first game on 23 September 1928 when the two first faced off in a violent game which Universitario won 1-0. Both clubs come from the capital city, Lima. Alianza Lima, known as the team of the working classes, play their home games at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva. The fans from Alianza Lima are mostly people who live in the populous and poor areas of Lima. Meanwhile, Universitario de Deportes is the team of the all social straits, founded by professors and students of the National University of San Marcos. Universitario has been able to host few games against Alianza Lima at their stadium, Monumental, due to security concerns from the police. Alianza Lima has won the most Super Classics, but Universitario has been the most successful Peruvian club to date.

[edit] América de Cali vs Atlético Nacional

This is one of the most followed games in Fútbol Profesional Colombiano and it is considered to be the "Superclásico" of Colombia. Since 1979, América and Nacional have played each other in 15 finals (previously, finals were between more than 2 teams). The most recent final between the two was in 2002, where América was able to defeat Nacional in both matches and as a result obtained the 12th title in its history. Statistics from matches between these two teams show that this is the most even "clasico", with 79 wins for América, 74 for Nacional, and 75 draws. The first time they faced each other in Copa Libertadores was in 1991, and up to this date América has six victories, Nacional has four, and there was one draw.

[edit] América de Cali vs Deportivo Cali

Deportivo Cali roots go all the way back to 1908 when it was founded as Cali Football Club. Their support used to be mostly upper class. America de Cali is more known as the people's club as it's from a small area on the outside of Cali. Bad vibes started in the early 30's, when after a match between the 2 teams, America's players accused the referee and Deportivo Cali of fixing the game. America was banned from the local league for some years.

[edit] América de Cali vs Millonarios

This derby had been considered just as another common match in Colombia, until 2008, when América de Cali won its 13th title in the Colombian Championship, matching Millonarios.

That, added to the very big presence of migrants from Cali, home-city of América, in Bogotá, has forced authorities into taking big security measures in every match, inside and outside the stadium, specially in Bogotá. However, each match remains a very big celebration and encounter for the fans of both teams, who display an immense amount of flags and banners with the club's main colors (Blue and Red) and sing Aim Songs throughout the match.

[edit] Atlético Mineiro vs Cruzeiro

Atlético and Cruzeiro are the biggest football clubs of Belo Horizonte, capital of the Minas Gerais state, and two of the most traditional clubs in South America. Atletico's mascot is a Rooster ("Galo") and Cruzeiro's mascot is a Fox ("Raposa").

[edit] Atlético Nacional vs Millonarios

It's the match in which the two teams with most Championship titles in Colombia face each other. Millonarios winning 13 national championships and 1 international title, while Atlético Nacional has won 10 national championships and 5 international titles. Both teams play in the professional Colombian championship.

The strife and bout between fans of both clubs is notorious in every match, inside and outside the stadium, and commonly on the streets, specially in the Capital City, Bogotá D.C. This is probably due to the presence of many Medellín migrants in the city and the correspondent rivalry between Bogotá natives and the so-called 'Páisas' migrants. This has forced the authorities into taking extreme security measures in the last clashes, especially in Bogotá. Millonarios fans consider Nacional as their main rival in terms of success and fan base, even more than its neighbour, Independiente Santa Fe.

[edit] Barcelona vs Emelec

The biggest rivalry in Ecuador is between the clubs Emelec and Barcelona, both from the city of Guayaquil. It is known as "El Clásico del Astillero", which translates to "The Shipyard Classic", reflecting the status of Guayaquil as the country's main port.

[edit] Boca Juniors vs River Plate

These two teams from Buenos Aires, Argentina are the protagonists of what is known as, 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.^[1] The rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate is most intense, and the team's fans usually take to distribute 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.

This derby is considered to be one of the most exciting in the world. 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.^[2] 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),^[3] 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. Sometimes ending 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 even with packages that include a ticket to the Superclásico^[4]

[edit] Bolivar vs The Strongest

The Bolivian derby is the clash between the most popular teams in the country, Bolivar and The Strongest. This match focus the attention of great masses along Bolivia's whole geography and not only La Paz, home city of both of them. This rivalry began at the start at the 20th century.

[edit] Botafogo vs Fluminense

Nicknamed "Clássico Vovô" (Grandpa Derby), the derby between Fluminense and Botafogo is the oldest in Brazil and the fourth in the entire continent (behind Peñarol vs Nacional, Racing vs River Plate and Newell's Old Boys vs Rosário Central). The rivalry began in 11/22/1905, with the "tricolor" victory of 6-0.

The rivalry between the fans of these two clubs is one of the most "rancorous" in Brazil, since they share a long history of polemical decisions in finals and juridical fights outside the fields between the clubs. One of the most famous disputes surround the Campeonato Carioca decision of 1907, only solved after 89 years, when the court decided to share the title.

Traditionally, despite all the resent between fans, the "Clássico Vovô" was always known as a very peaceful derby, with no violence situations between fans. However, reports of fights between "Torcidas" are increasing during the first decade of the XXI century.

[edit] Caracas vs Deportivo Táchira

The actual biggest rivalry in Venezuela is between the clubs Caracas Fútbol Club and Deportivo Táchira, the most popular and successful clubs in the country. The supporters of the "capitalinos" (people from Caracas, the capital) and the "gochos" (people from the Andes region) live with passion these matches year by year, spiced by the differences in idiosincracy from one region to another.

[edit] Cerro Porteño vs Olimpia

These two teams from Asunción, Paraguay are the protagonists of what is known as, El Clásico (Superclásico –meaning classic– is the word used instead of derby in Spanish language). One of football's classic derbies, since the first time played in 1913, the Paraguayan Clásico is the confrontation between the two greatest teams of Asunción, Olimpia and Cerro Porteño. The rivalry is an important component of the country social culture, When the teams face each other at the mitic Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asunción. They used to play sometimes in other places like Para Uno Stadium(Olimpia) or in La Olla (Cerro Porteño). One of the few Derbies with somehow 50% and 50% attendance, as Defensores del Chaco is property of the Paraguayan Football Association, for this game is neutral field.

[edit] Colo-Colo vs Universidad de Chile

The biggest sports rivalry in Chile, averaging more than 55,000 people per game. Colo-Colo is the popular team in Chile. The name the club bears is in honor of an aboriginal leader who fought Spanish conquerors. On the other hand, Universidad de Chile is not a team of upper classes (unlike its other rival Universidad Católica), but more of the big middle class in Chile, which is very passionate as well. The most important period of the "Clásico" was during the government of Augusto Pinochet. He was named honorary president of Colo-Colo, and it was in this period that the club won several of its championships. Universidad de Chile had more support from the political left wing. They have always been in conflict with Colo-Colo, and even today their fans see the Estadio Monumental as the "Stadium of Pinochet".

[edit] Corinthians vs Palmeiras

A big rivalry in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, SE Palmeiras and Corinthians have always drawn a lot of attention when they face off each other. There have been books written and movies shot about this rivalry, including a version of Romeo and Juliet where Palmeiras and Corinthians take the place of the Montagues and Capulets.^[5]

Palestra Itália (now known as Palmeiras) was founded in 1914 as an Italians only club. Some Corinthians' Italian members and the player Bianco, the only Italian in the Corinthians' squad, left to join the new club and were labeled as traitors. Because of that the teams became rivals, and remain the fiercest rivals in São Paulo to this day.^[6]

[edit] Corinthians vs São Paulo

In São Paulo State, O Majestoso is the confrontation between São Paulo Futebol Clube and Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. This name was given by journalist Thomaz Mazzoni, from "Gazeta Esportiva" newspaper. Actually, it is the classic that gathers the biggest number of "torcedores" in São Paulo State, according to the most recent statistics. Along with Santos FC and Palmeiras, Corinthians and São Paulo are the so called big four of the Paulista Championship.

[edit] Flamengo vs Fluminense

The Fla-Flu is one of the most important derbies in Brazilian football. The Fla-Flu (truncation of Flamengo-Fluminense) is a football (soccer) matchup between cross-town rivals Flamengo and Fluminense, two of Rio de Janeiro's most popular teams. Also called Clássico das Multidões (Crowds' Derby), matches are usually sold out and normally take place in the 70,000-seat Maracanã Stadium, located near downtown Rio, in Maracanã neighborhood. The world record football match attendance between clubs is a Fla 0-0 Flu with 194.603-seat (177,656 ps.) in 1963.^[7]

The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left the club, and went to Flamengo, which at the time had no football section.^[8] The first Fla-Flu ever was played the following year, on July 7, 1912 at Laranjeiras stadium. Fluminense won this match 3-2, with 800 people in attendance ^[9].

The moniker Fla-Flu was coined by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football.^[10]

[edit] Flamengo vs Vasco da Gama

The so-called "Clássico dos Milhões" (The Millions' Derby), named after the largest fanbases in Rio de Janeiro (and arguably across the country, if one discounts São Paulo state's sheer demographic weight), is considered by some the top Brazilian derby. It has been played since 1923 as Vasco da Gama rose to first division to clinch on the fly its first title, just to be denied an unbeaten row by Flamengo.^[11]

The rivalry between the fans of the clubs can turn extremely violent, with cases such as shooting between fans of either side and the police occurring.^[12] Currently the success of the clubs is split pretty evenly, with Flamengo having recently marginally more cup success.

[edit] Grêmio vs Internacional

Gre-nal is the largest derby in the southern region of the country.

The match is played in Porto Alegre, home to both teams (Internacional and Grêmio), but the teams' support bases are evenly distributed all across the state of Rio Grande do Sul, home to 11 million people, as well as neighboring states. The match happens either at Olímpico Monumental Stadium (Grêmio) or Beira-Rio Stadium (Internacional).

Grêmio has more international titles and fans in the state, but Internacional has more fans in the city and was never relegated to second division, as well as having a few more regional titles. The rivalry extends back to 1909, in the same year Internacional was founded, when Grêmio beat Internacional by the score of 10-0. Some would argue it began earlier, before Internacional was founded, because its founders were actually rejected to join Grêmio, which at the time (first decade of the 20th century) only accepted members of German nationality or ancestry.

[edit] Independiente vs Racing

The Avellaneda derby is the second most important rivalry in Argentine football. The two teams are located in the city of Avellaneda, in the south of the Greater Buenos Aires, but two teams has got fans in all the country. Independiente is the 3rd most popular team in Argentina and Racing the 4th^[13],^[14][15] and are the 3rd and 5th successful teams in terms of the total number of league championships (amateurs and professionals leagues) won.^[16]

This rivalry is the most intense of Argentina, because the stadiums of these teams are only a few hundred metres apart, and the team's fans usually take to distribute posters to tease the other after a defeat between them or even a loss.

[edit] Nacional vs Peñarol

One of football's classic derbies, since the late 19th century, the Uruguayan Clásico is the confrontation between the two greatest teams of Montevideo, Nacional and Peñarol.^[17] Both teams have played a big part in developing South American football and are respected in the Americas and worldwide despite their recent lack of international success. Together they sum up 8 Copa Libertadores and 6 Intercontinental Cups

The rivalry is an important component of the country's culture, which is paralyzed every time the clubs face each other at the legendary Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, since the venue never changes no matter which one is the local team. One of the few Derbies with somehow 50% and 50% attendance, as Centenario for this game is neutral field.

The 0-0 draw of 14 April 1990, had after a direful fight, 22 red cards,11 each side, (Nacional-9 field players and 2 bench players). The match ended at 85' for the rule of less than 7 players.^[17] Then the 1-1 match of 26 November 2000 ended in another confrontation of several boxing and karate kicks and chops in which 9 players had to spent 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.

[edit] Newell's Old Boys vs Rosario Central

"Rosario Central" is a railway station where English railwaymen used to work. In 1889 they founded the Rosario Central football club. The club has always carried a left wing tradition as it is said that Che Guevara was a Rosario Central supporter as well. Newell's Old Boys were founded by students of the English High School of Rosario. The club was named after English immigrant Isaac Newell who was director of the school.

[edit] Palmeiras vs São Paulo

The club Palmeiras was mostly founded by Italian immigrants while São Paulo FC was born after the fusion of some Brazilian clubs. During the early '40s São Paulo represented the Paulista feeling against the dictatorship in Brazil. Palmeiras, that used to be called Palestra Italia, was forced to change its name so that it wouldn't be linked to any country that was taking part in world war II. Palestra Itália had to change its name to Palmeiras one day before the Paulista championship final of 1942 against São Paulo and they also accused São Paulo FC of being one of the responsibles for the pressure that they were suffering. This Derby is better known as the "Choque Rei".

[edit] Universidad Católica vs Universidad de Chile

The rivalry between the 2 universities unfolded when Universidad Católica was formed in 1937. Some students from the Club Universidad de Chile left the club to create Club Deportivo Universidad Católica. The Clasico Universitario was the most important rivalry in Chile until the beginning of the 70's. From that time Colo Colo started to win a lot of titles while La U and Catolica experienced some tough times. Fans generally come from all walks of life but La Catolica has a reputation for being elitist and the team of the rich and their stadium is located in the richest part of Santiago (Las Condes).

[edit] Mexico and Central America

[edit] Águila vs FAS

The classic rivalry in El Salvador is between Águila from San Miguel and FAS from Santa Ana. Both are the most successful clubs in the Liga Salvadoreña, and have the biggest fan bases in the country.

[edit] Alajuelense vs Saprissa

The biggest rivalry in Costa Rica is between the clubs Liga Deportiva Alajuelense and Deportivo Saprissa, the most popular and successful clubs in the country.

[edit] América vs Cruz Azul

The match between América and Cruz Azul, both from Mexico City, is actually known as the "Clásico Jóven". It began in 1971, when Cruz Azul visited the Azteca Stadium and defeated América with a 4-1 score, at this time Cruz Azul was originally from Hidalgo. It was at this match that América and Cruz Azul became rivals. Cruz Azul had its Golden Age in the 70s, while América had its own in the 80s. The rivalry became stronger in the recent years.

[edit] América vs Guadalajara

A long-standing rivalry between the teams of two of the most important cities in Mexico: Chivas of Guadalajara and América of Mexico City.^[18] 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 have a huge fan base in the whole country although Guadalajara also have a larger supporter base nationwide (and is owned by Jorge Vergara, through his company Omnilife).^[19]

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.^[20] Both teams have been very successful, with Guadalajara having won 11 championships, and America 10.

[edit] América vs U.N.A.M

This match, known as "Clásico Capitalino" or Derby of the Capital, is the match between América and UNAM, both teams from Mexico City. It is considered the most dangerous derby in Mexico, because the rivalry between fans is very radical and violent.

[edit] Atlas vs Guadalajara

The Tapatío derby, is the match between the oldest and most important clubs in Guadalajara city, Chivas and Atlas. It is considered the oldest derby in Mexico, played since 1916, and is a game lived with passion by fans of both clubs. The rivalry began due to social classes differences between fans, Guadalajara was followed by the middle classes, while Atlas was followed by the high classes of the city because the founders of the black and red club were from wealthy families that learned the sport in their trips as students in the United Kingdom.

[edit] Comunicaciones vs Municipal

The Biggest Rivalry in Guatemala is between the clubs Comunicaciones and Municipal, both from the city of Guatemala. The two teams was face to face 241 times in all history. Comunicaciones has won 79 times, Municipal 87 times, with 74 draws. Municipal with 26 Liga Nacional de Guatemala and comunicaciones with 21.

[edit] Marathon vs Olimpia

The Clasico Nacional (National Derby), is a local derby played between Marathon and Olimpia. This derby dates back to the 1920s. Since one team was from San Pedro Sula and the other one from Tegucigalpa people started calling it the National Derby.

[edit] Monterrey vs Tigres UANL

Clásico Regiomontano is a football derby in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, between rival teams Monterrey and UANL. Since the first Clásico in 1974, the two teams have competed 88 times for bragging rights and city honour. The match is the biggest game of the season in Monterrey, and every year tickets are sold out before the season starts. Fans wait in line for days outside the stadium just to get tickets, which are often priced at two or three times their regular value. Fans in Monterrey are regarded as the best in Mexico, loyal and passionate, as both teams sell out home games year after year. The passion level in this match equals that of the national Derby Guadalajara-America match concentrated in a single city, rather than most of the country.

[edit] Motagua vs Olimpia

The Clasico Capitalino (Capital's Derby), also known as the Superclasico (Superclassic), is a local derby played between Motagua and Olimpia, the two most successful and popular football teams from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. These two teams lead the Honduran Football League as most frequent holders of the championship trophy, and the rivalry they cause amongst residents is bigger than any gang or political affiliation.

[edit] United States and Canada

[edit] Carolina RailHawks vs Puerto Rico Islanders

The Carolina RailHawks and Puerto Rico Islanders, both of which belong to the United Soccer Leagues (USL) have a rivalry brewing among the two clubs. While Islanders supporters were not pleased when the RailHawks revealed orange and blue kit colors (selected because the combination is not used by any other Triangle area sports teams, although coincidentally the same colors sported by the Islanders), the rivalry begun in earnest when Islanders President Andrés Guillemard-Noble accused the RailHawks of piracy[5] in the signing of Islanders' free agent Caleb Norkus. While the club executive insists that the Islanders had a verbal agreement with Norkus to return to Puerto Rico for the 2007 season, the player refutes that accusation[6], saying the two sides never reached terms and cites the lack of an offered written contract as evidence of their lack of agreement.

[edit] Carolina RailHawks vs Rochester Rhinos

A rivalry developed between the RailHawks and Rochester Rhinos-United Soccer Leagues- due to the close financial and player ties between the two organizations. Current RailHawks GM Chris Economides held the same position with the Rhinos before departing for Cary, and former Rhinos President Frank DuRoss and CEO Steve Donner were part of the original ownership group. In addition, RailHawks coach Scott Schweitzer was a captain and fan favorite of the Rhinos, and RailHawks captain Frank Sanfilippo and forward Connally Edozien are former Rhinos players.

[edit] Chicago Fire vs New England Revolution

Since 1998 these teams have played each other in both league and playoffs.

[edit] Chivas USA vs Los Angeles Galaxy

One of the Galaxy's chief rivals for the past few years has been Chivas USA, with whom they share a home stadium (Home Depot Center). The Galaxy–Chivas USA game is MLS's first derby, known as the Honda SuperClasico. Although the Galaxy won all four games the first year of the rivalry, in 2006 a more competitive Chivas side increased the popularity of the SuperClassico, which features sell-out crowds. The Galaxy won three of four Classico games in 2006. In the 2007 inaugural tournament Superliga, a new much-anticipated rivalry was formed. The Galaxy took on Chivas USA's parent team Club Deportivo Guadalajara at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and lost 2-1, however they still advanced to the next round leaving their rivals behind.

[edit] Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC

The Trillium Cup is an annual two-team cup rivalry between Columbus Crew and Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. The Trillium Cup is named after a flower – the trillium – which is both the official flower of the province of Ontario and the official wildflower of the state of Ohio. The rivalries draw on the team's similarities: two teams are geographically near the Great Lakes that border the United States and Canada and both teams also play in soccer-specific stadiums that have been built in the central city, as opposed to other MLS clubs that have built their stadiums mainly in the suburbs. The cup will be awarded to the team that wins the regular season series (constituting 3 games in the 2008 season). In 2008, Mayor Michael Coleman of Columbus and Mayor David Miller of Toronto started a small wager on their respective team for the first installment of the Trillium Cup - the mayor of the losing team was required to wear the winning team's jersey. The rivalry started to become more intense when 2,500 tickets to the first game at Columbus Crew Stadium were bought by TFC fans, and buses were organized for fans from Toronto heading to Columbus for the first game on 29 March 2008. The Crew won 2-0 over their new rival. The final match between the two became even more heated when the away supporters from Columbus were attacked and harassed by Toronto fans outside of BMO Field in which at least one TFC fan was maced and arrested. The second and third meetings were at BMO Field were a ties; 0-0 and 1-1, respectively. The Crew thus claimed the inaugural Trillium Cup with a 5:2 score on points earned, and maintained their status in Major League Soccer as one of three teams that Toronto has not beaten (along with the New England Revolution and San Jose Earthquakes).

[edit] Los Angeles Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes

The California Clasico, is the primary soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs. Southern California sporting and cultural rivalries, as well as from the relative proximity of the cities (about 360 miles apart) which allows rival fans to attend each others’ games.

[edit] Europe (east)

[edit] AEK Athens vs Olympiacos

Another classic derby in Athens. The hatred between the fans peaked in 1996 when Dusan Bajevic left AEK in order to be the coach of Olympiacos. He was the man who made the best team that AEK ever had and the AEK fans loved him. But since 1996 they see him as a traitor and this is now the main reason for the animosity between the two clubs.

[edit] Aris Thessaloniki vs PAOK Thessaloniki

The classic derby of Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece between two historical football clubs, Aris and PAOK. Both teams claim the title of the most successful club outside Athens and the rivalry between them is extremely intense characterizing their long history.

[edit] Crvena Zvezda vs Partizan

FK Partizan was founded in 1945 as the football section of the central club of the Yugoslavian Army.^[21] Red Star was founded in 1945 as well but it was more the civil club but with close ties with the Ministry of Interior at its beginning. The rivalry between the two clubs is known to be pretty fierce and violent.^[22]

Red star fans are called Delije (Warriors, Heroes) and FK Partizan fans are called Grobari (Undertakers, Gravediggers) This rivalry between both sides is regarded as the most dangerous because of violent actions between the hooligans, many people have been extremely hurt in the fights these teams had. There were many cases of off-stadium deaths in clashes between supporters of these teams, as well as one case of on-stadium killing, when in 1999. Grobari, using handy rocket-launcher, killed a supporter of Red Star by sending missile from south tribune to north one, where Delije are traditionally stationed.Delije many times killed some members of Grobari with knives, too.^[23]

[edit] CSKA Moscow vs Spartak Moscow

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The Moscow derby is fierce, but the rivalry is strange in that it denies even notional logic. CSKA were the army team, Spartak were financed by a catering firm and, to romanticised modern theory, were supported by those looking for an independent alternative to the monolithic state institutions.

The oft-repeated claim that Spartak were systematically persecuted as a result, though, is nonsensical (it is a curious persecution that permits a side 11 league titles). CSKA and Spartak are the two most successful football teams in the country in history. With 31 titles won altogether(Spartak–21; CSKA–10).

These days what divides fans is far from obvious. The issue is not geographical, nor to do with class or religion; it is simply that some people are Spartak and some are CSKA.

The supporters of both teams wait the whole year for this particular match. Both clubs are based in the Luzhniki stadium (sector D belongs to CSKA fans and B to Spartak) , but both teams are building their own stadiums. This game attracts crowds of people(about 60 thousands every game). If the team had a bad season but they won this game fans of the winning team will forgive their team everything . The rivalry doesn't just occur when the teams are playing each other, with both teams having terrace chants which they sing at each game insulting each other.

On 14 October 1995 on Old Arbate street in Moscow about 200 fans of CSKA and Spartak started a fight . This slaughter became a symbol of the beginning of an epoch of severe opposition among football fans of Russia.

Nowadays about 5000 policemen are on duty when these Moscow teams play against each other. Statistics: All games - 123 matches; 51 wins for Spartak, 29 draws, 43 wins for CSKA.

[edit] CSKA Sofia vs Levski Sofia

This match is known as the so-called "Eternal derby" in Bulgaria. The two clubs are the most successful in Bulgaria and have the largest fan groups. Historically the rivalry between Levski Sofia and CSKA Sofia is down to class, but this is no longer the case.^[24] There is fierce hatred between the fans of the clubs and there are often fights. On occasions up to 1500 police officers are required to prevent trouble from occurring.^[25] The derby of Sofia is not just the biggest derby in Bulgaria, many see this match as one of the biggest derbys in the whole Balkan region. Levski won the first game with 1-0 back in 1948.

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.

Statistics: All games - 166 matches; 72 wins for Levski, 43 draws, 52 wins for CSKA; 257:218 goals in favour to Levski. Currently CSKA has had more league title wins while Levski has been more successful in the cup.

[edit] Dinamo Bucharest vs Steaua Bucharest

Marele Derby (The Great Derby) has been the leading Romanian football encounter in the last 60 years, as Steaua and Dinamo are the two most successful football teams in the country in history. With 41 titles won altogether (Steaua–23; Dinamo–18), the two clubs have won 23 of the last 26 seasons. It is also a match between the former clubs of the Ministry of National Defence - Romanian Army (Steaua) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs - The Police (Dinamo). Several clashes between different factions of supporters have often occurred and still occur inside and outside the stadium. The heyday was reached before a match kick-off in 1997, when Dinamo's fans set a sector of Stadionul Ghencea's Peluza Sud, where they were assigned, on fire. Between October 1991 and April 2000, Steaua counted 19 undefeated official matches in front of their rivals, both in the championship and the cup. Just as well, a period of 17 years and 7 months has been recorded in which Dinamo did not manage to win away against Steaua in the domestic league. The result of the encounter between the two rivals is currently the following: 117 matches, 40 wins for Dinamo, 34 wins for Steaua and 43 games ended in a tie.

The roots of the Dinamo ultras movement can be found in 1995 when groups like Dracula or Rams Pantelimon appear in the North End. In 1996 a group called Nuova Guardia is born, composed of young but very devoted men it will become the leading group in the red-white stands. Following the death of Catalin Hîldan in 2000 the fans renamed the North End of Dinamo's stadium to Peluza Catalin Hildan (PCH) in his honor. Today the majority of supporters are located in the PCH but several factions have moved to the South End.

[edit] Dinamo Zagreb vs Hajduk Split

The Eternal Derby (Vječni Derbi) between Croatian clubs Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split is one of the most violent in Europe. Both teams belong to the strongest in the country and have strong support groups, which are Bad Blue Boys for Dinamo and Torcida for Hajduk.^[26]

Hajduk is the team of Dalmatia (Split) and Dinamo is the team of the Zagreb region. Dalmatia (coastal) is poorer than the Zagreb region (mainland).

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.^[27]

[edit] Dynamo Kyiv vs Shakhtar Donetsk

The biggest rivalry in Ukraine. They are the most popular clubs in Ukraine. It started in 1991. Dynamo have won 12 titles while Shakhtar have won 4 since 1991. Shakhtar have been winning more lately than Dynamo. Shakhtar have won the Ukrainian cup 6 times while Dynamo have won the cup 9 times.

[edit] Dynamo Kyiv vs Spartak Moscow

In the Soviet times, no other rivalry fostered emotions to match Dynamo Kyiv - Spartak Moscow rivalry of the 1970s-early 1990s. Dynamo Kyiv had won the USSR Premier League title a record 13 times, Spartak had won that title 12 times.

[edit] Fenerbahçe vs Galatasaray

This is the clash of Turkey's teams; Fenerbahçe S.K. and Galatasaray S.K.. The two teams share a color, yellow with Fenerbahçe's colors being navy and yellow and with Galatasaray's colors being yellow and red. For some fans, winning the derby is more important than winning the league.^[28] Fenerbahçe has more wins than Galatasaray in the derby table 362(136-110-116). The widest score between the two teams is 7-0, which was believed to be won by Galatasaray in 1911, and in the 2002-03 season Fenerbahçe won a 6-0 victory against their archrival Galatasaray at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on 6 November 2002. Galatasaray has beaten Fenerbahçe 5-1 during the final of the Turkish Cup in 2005 and Fenerbahçe managed to get a victory with the same margin with 4-0 victory a year later. Fenerbahçe has a winning streak at home in the Turkish Superlig against Galatasaray since 1999. The most recent game between two teams lasted with a draw of 0-0 in 12 April 2009. Arda Turan, Emre Aşık of Galatasaray, Semih Şentürk and Diego Lugano of Fenerbahçe picked up a red card at the same time, which had created tensions.

The fans of the two teams used to be split along class lines, with Fenerbahçe supported primarily by the working class along with another Istanbul club Beşiktaş JK and Galatasaray, - who were founded by Galatasaray Lycee students - with more aristocratic supporters.^[29] There is also a geographical split because Galatasaray is located in the European side of Istanbul, whereas Fenerbahçe is located on the Asian side. Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray fans react in the same way in another issue meaning that they don't like the other side because they are of Fenerbahçe or Galatasaray. In National Professional Leagues after 1959, both Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray have won 17 first league titles. Since 1963, Galatasaray have won 14 Turkish Cups and Fenerbahçe have succeeded only 4 times.^[30] Both teams show up in European tournaments as a tradition with Galatasaray having won the UEFA Cup (2000) and UEFA Super Cup (2001).

[edit] Ferencváros vs Újpest (Hungary)

The derby between Budapest's two most popular teams is the major derby of Hungary. It's a very intense, colorful, and dangerous derby. Ferencvárosi TC (shortly called Fradi) is the club with the biggest support in the country, the Fradi has a large and loyal fanbase. The Fradi is the Hungary's team (Magyarország csapata, a Nemzet csapata). Újpest FC has a large fanbase, but the újpest supporters number is smaller than Ferencváros. Both clubs are named after the Budapest districts they play in. It's a local rivalry in Budapest, but the biggest in the Hungarian capital (Budapest), and the country. In the past Ferencváros had a bit more support from the middle and upper class while Újpest traditionally was the working-class club. Ferencváros supporters number in Hungary is about 600 000 - 1 500 000, while Újpest supporters number is about 300 000. The Fradi, and the Újpest is a right-wing political team. Ferencváros were known for their anti-communist leanings and this fiery Budapest derby was renowned for its annual bloodletting. Since the political changes of 1989 nothing much changed with an upsurge in violent fan culture. The two klubs has a many rivalries in the country (for example Fradi vs Vasas, Fradi vs Kispest, Fradi vs MTK, Fradi vs Debrecen, Fradi vs Szombathelyi Haladás, or Újpest vs Kispest, Újpest vs Debrecen, Újpest vs Zalaegerszeg). The two klub has a lot of frendliest team in Hungary, and Europe (for example: Fradi - Zalaegerszeg, Fradi - Rapid Wien, Fradi - Panathinaikos, or Újpest - Szombathelyi Haladás, Újpest - Békéscsaba 1912 Előre SE, Újpest - Vasas, Újpest - Austria Wien). They have a big national friend is the FK DAC 1904 Dunaszerdahely (this is the Hunarian club in Slovakia, this is the big rivalre the Hungarian clubs, and Slovakian clubs). The Vasas is the former team of the Police, the Kispest (present days: Budapest Honvéd FC) is the former team the Military in Hungary. In the communism in Hungary, the Fradi is lost his coat, and colours (because the green-white Fradi is a right-wing team). The Újpest is the third most successful club in Hungary (after the Fradi, and MTK), but the Újpest have a second largest support team in Hungary (after Fradi). Both team hate the communis, and the left-wing, and they are love their national (Hungary, Hungarians), and they think, they are protect the country, and the Hungarians every where in the world, but the Újpest hate Fradi, and Fradi hate Újpest in the "peacetime". The Hungarian teams support groups are united, when the match between the Slovakian team (Slovan Bratislava) and the Hungarian team (DAC Dunaszerdahely), the Slovakian police attack the Hungarian fans. So the bigger Hungarian supporter groups (the Fradi, Újpest, Kispest, Vasas, Debrecen, Diósgyőr, Pécs, Győr, Fehérvár, Zalaegerszeg, Vasas, Békéscsaba, Nyíregyháza) are united, they think they protect the Hungarian culture, peoples, and their Country (Hungary) when other nations "attack" the Hungarian teams supporters, everywhere. The Fradi, and the Újpest has a large fanbase, and they have a lot of supporter groups. In the groups see ultras, hools, and casuals. The biggest ultra groups in Fradi is the Stormy Scamps '98, and the Green Monsters '95. Other groups (in Ferencváros): 16-os”, Cannibals, Greenternet, Ebola, Green Family, II-es szektor, 7 side, Eastern Greens (This groups about 650-700 people mean). The biggest ultra groups in Újpest is the Ultra Viola bulldogs, and Ultra Viola Fidelity. Other groups (in Újpest): Viola Kaos, Ultra Korps. The Fradi is the most average team in Hungary. The Fradi and the Újpest, they are play 200 match their history, since 1905. The rivalry is very heavy, intensive and colorful (See the videos). This is the biggest rivalry in Hungary, and one of the biggest in Central-Europe.

Ferencváros videos:

• Fradi ultras
• Szolnok - Ferencváros
• Ferencváros - Szombathelyi Haladás
• Ferencváros vs Feyenoord
• Ferencváros ultras 2008
• Ferencváros ultras I.
• Sparta Praha - Ferencváros
• Sparta Praha - Ferencváros II.

Újpest videos:

• Újpest Ultras I
• Újpest Ultras II
• Újpest Ultras III

The rivarly:

• Újpest - Fradi, 2002
• Fradi - Újpest
• Fradi vs Újpest
• Fradi vs Újpest

[edit] Panathinaikos vs Olympiacos

The Panathinaikos Athens vs Olympiacos Piraeus is the most important sports rivalry in Greece. It's called Derby of the eternal enemies (Greek: Ντέρμπι των αιωνίων αντιπάλων) or Mother of all battles (Greek: Μητέρα των μαχών). These two are the most successful Greek clubs. Olympiacos has been the most successful of the two domestically (in terms of honours and the wins at the derbies) but Panathinaikos is more successful in European competitions (none of the two teams has ever managed to win a European title, although Panathinaikos reached the 1971 European Champions Cup Final ( the predecessor of UEFA Champions League), and twice reached the semi-finals in the same competition. Olympiacos has never reached this stage).^[31]

The derby represents a local animosity too as it is the most classic derby of Athens. Panathinaikos comes from the center of Athens and Olympiacos from the Athens' port, Piraeus. It splits the Capital and the whole of Greece in two. Traditionally, Olympiacos used to represent the working class of Piraeus, while Panathinaikos the aristocracy and middle class of Athens. Now the fanbases of both are almost similar and they are supported by all the social classes (aristocrats, middle class, working class). However, differences in social,economic and educational status still exist. The hatred is so intense that many times some violent incidents have taken place between the fans especially before or after the derby in many regions of Athens.^[32]

The largest decisive result between the two in football occurred on June the 1st 1930, with Panathinaikos crushing their opponents with a score of 8-2.^[33]

[edit] Olympiacos vs PAOK

The match PAOK - Olympiacos is a match between two of the most popular clubs from the two biggest cities in Greece: Olympiacos from Piraeus (Athens' port) against PAOK, from the city of Thessaloniki in the relatively poorer north. PAOK fans consider Olympiacos as their worst enemy and they hate the club of Piraeus perhaps more than they hate their town rivals, Aris. The whole story began in the 60's when the all-time best player of PAOK, Giorgos Koudas, decided to move to Olympiacos. The transfer, however, did not take place, but started the infamous animosity between the two clubs' fans.

[edit] Sarajevo vs Željezničar

The Sarajevo derby is a match between big city rivals FK Željezničar and FK Sarajevo, two of the biggest and most popular clubs in the Bosnia and Herzegovina. This derby is also similar to the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton; it is not uncommon to see members of the same family that are on opposite sides. So far (as of 21 April 2007), 89 league matches were played. Both clubs won 28 times, while 33 matches ended with a draw, and goal-difference is 115-111 in FK Sarajevo's favour. Since the independence, as a part of Bosnian championship, there were 26 games played; Sarajevo won 9 times, Željezničar won 7 times, with 10 draws, and goal-difference 37-31 for FK Sarajevo.^[34]

FK Željezničar's most passionate fans (wearing blue) are called The Maniacs because their love for the club is on the edge of insanity, so it is said. They are located on the south side of stadium (the holy south as they call it). The older fans ones are known affectionately as the Košpicari (which can metaphorically be translated as "seed eaters", although the name itself has different meaning - namely that of "seed sellers"). They sit on north and west stands of the stadium during home games. The east section is reserved for away fans.^[35]

FK Sarajevo's most passionate fans (crimson) are called the Horde Zla (Evil hordes) after the popular Zagor comic book. In home games on Koševo Stadium, they are located on the north stands, while the older fans are known as the Pitari (similar to the Košpicari etymology except referring to pie and not seeds) and they are mainly on the east side. The south section is reserved for away fans.^[36]

[edit] Slavia Prague vs Sparta Prague

The most important rivalry in Czech Republic is a match between Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague. Both are the top Czech clubs. The derby is usually collectively called the Derby of Prague "S". Both teams are loved and hated in different parts of Czech republic. First match was played in 1896 and it ended 1:0 for Sparta but the referee Josef Rössler-Ořovský called back the goal after the match (at that time it wasn't strange because according to interpretation of rules - both captains must agree that the goal counts), next derby was played after 11 years and the result was 2:2.

List of Derbies "S" from Sparta's homepage.^[37]

[edit] Slovan Bratislava vs Spartak Trnava

The most important rivalry in Slovakia is a match between Slovan Bratislava and Spartak Trnava.

[edit] Tirana vs Partizani Tirana

The rivalry between this two teams began after WWII, when Partizani was created. Since then the match between this two teams has been the main match of the week. The stadiums get more fans than any other match. There have been 117 matches between this two teams. 51 have been won by Partizani, 31 have been won by Tirana, and 35 have ended in draw. In this 117 matches the biggest victories by both sides were: Partizani 8-0 Tirana; Tirana 7-3 Partizani. Both sides have their nicknames. "Demat e Kuq" for Partizani and "Bardh e Blute" for Tirana. There has always been hating between the two tifozeries. In every match, they come up with slogans against each other.

[edit] Europe (west)

[edit] AIK vs Djurgården

The derby games between AIK and Djurgårdens IF, both clubs founded in the central Stockholm, are traditionally fiercely-contested. The teams were founded the same year, 1891, and all since then the rivalry have grown bigger. One of the more famous derbies was that of June 2003 in Allsvenskan. Djurgården had a 1-0 lead after halftime and made the gap even bigger by scoring 2-0 and 3-0. But in the last fifteen minutes of the game AIK scored three goals and equalized with only a few minutes left. The derby has been nicknamed "Tvillingderbyt" or the Twin Derby due to the clubs being founded the same year in the same city.

[edit] Ajax vs Feyenoord

The most important rivalry in the Netherlands is that between Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam, 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.^[38]

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.^[39]

[edit] Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven

It's not as big as Ajax-Feyenoord but it's one of the six so called 'klassiekers' (matches between Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV) played each year in Dutch football. Ajax is the most successful club in Dutch history while PSV has won most national titles in the past 20 years. They fight for the title year by year and therefore the rivalry gets stronger as time goes by.

[edit] Anderlecht vs Club Brugge

Two of Belgium's top clubs are split - as is the nation - between French and Flemish speaking communities. Brussels-based Anderlecht is French and ruled during the 1950s and 60s while Flemish Brugge won the league three years on the trot in the 70s.

[edit] Athletic de Bilbao vs Real Sociedad

The Basque derby is played in a friendly atmosphere because the two Basque clubs hate Madrid more than they hate each other. There is some animosity, though, because Athletic has refused to sign non-Basque players to this day, while Sociedad has signed players from other parts of Spain and around the world since the late 1980s.

[edit] Atlético Baleares vs Real Mallorca

The rivalry between Real Mallorca and Atlètico Baleares goes back to the 1920s, when Real Mallorca, known as Alfonso XIII, was founded. Atlètico Baleares has always been less important than Real Mallorca because it had never gone further than the Tercera División Española, before the season 2007/2008, when it ascended to the Segunda División B. The games played between these teams have always been very violent on the field and between the crowd. During a lot of seasons Atlético Baleares has played against Real Mallorca B in very serious matches.

[edit] Atlético de Madrid vs Real Madrid

El Derbi madrileño (English: Madrid Derby) is the name given to football matches between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, both of them from Madrid, Spain.

Real Madrid and Atletico are clubs with contrasting identities and very different fates. Historically, Real Madrid have long been seen as the establishment club; as the puppets of General Franco, led by hardline conservative Santiago Bernabéu, aided by the government and fearful (or bent) referees. Bernabeu, Real Madrid's stadium, is majestic alongside banks and businesses on the classy and aristocratic Castellana, while Calderon can be found beside a brewery; Real Madrid draw greater support certainly because of its successes, while Atletico has a more working-class fan base, which comes particularly from the south of the city.

[edit] Austria Wien vs Rapid Wien

The Vienna derby, first played in 1911, is the highlight of the Austrian season. Rapid were initially called the Vienna Workers' Football Club and Austria were known as Amateure after being formed by members of the Vienna Cricket and Football Club.

[edit] Barcelona vs Espanyol

The rivalry between Barça (short for FC Barcelona) and RCD Espanyol is far more important for Espanyol fans than for the Barça fans, who consider Real Madrid as their main rivals. Espanyol (or blanqui-blaus), being one of 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's citizens as a club which cultivated a kind of compliance to the central authority, in stark contrast to Barça's revolutionary spirit.^[40] Over the last years the derby is less political as Espanyol translated its official name and anthem from Spanish to Catalan.

[edit] Barcelona vs Real Madrid

The rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain is generally considered to be the biggest in football, and is similar in context to Celtic - Rangers. From the start the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain, Catalonia and Castile respectively, as well as the two cities themselves.^[41]

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.^[42]

As Barcelona and Real Madrid are the two biggest and most successful clubs in Spain, the rivalry impacts the league championship on an almost annual basis. The flashpoints of this rivalry are the twice-a-season clásicos which draw vast audiences from around the world. Real has won more La Liga titles than Barça, but Barça has won more Spanish Cups.

[edit] Basel vs Zürich

The two cities of Basel and Zürich have a very long historical rivalry. Since the 1960s, when Basel and Zurich often decided the Swiss championship between each other, the ancient rivalry between the two cities has been rekindled. Matches between them are often marked by riots and fighting before and after the contest. Due to this there is always a heavy police and security presence at matches between the two teams.

Things boiled over in 2006 in the final game of the season in Basel in a championship-deciding match against the FC Zürich. The incident became known as the 2006 Basel Hooligan Incident. FC Zürich scored in the dying moments of the match, and the goal ended the dream of Basel winning the Swiss Super League for a third consecutive season. This incident resulted in large scale property damage with rioting on the pitch as well as in and around the stadium and it is seen as one of the worst of such incidents involving hooliganism in Swiss sport.

The rivalry can also be seen at any matches involving the two clubs and as well as Grasshopper-Club Zürich.

In May 2009 twelve people were arrested after a matching involving Zürich and Basel in Zürich. This led to calls for football matches to be played at lunchtime and alcohol to be banned in the stadium.^[43]

[edit] Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund

Since the 1990s, Borussia Dortmund have developed into one of the powerhouses of both European and German soccer, and is perhaps the only club that can challenge the Bayern Munich hegemony. The ringmaster of this success was coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who decided to move to the front office after winning everything. After one (non) successful season, Hitzfeld decided to go back to coaching, and to the dismay of the Dortmund fans, he went to Bayern Munich. Both clubs, along with Hamburger SV, are the only German teams that have won the European Cup or UEFA Champions League.

[edit] Benfica vs Porto

The game between Benfica and FC Porto is one of the biggest clashes in Portugal. The relationship between the two clubs has always been known for its great animosity, as the classic opposes two geographic regions - with Benfica and Porto representing the south and north of Portugal, respectively. This match also represents the rivaly between the cities of Lisbon (South/Benfica) and Porto (North/Porto). Despite their northern rivals' success in recent years (both national and internationally), S.L. Benfica having most national titles (63) (while Porto holds 56), with 31 Portuguese Championships (while FC Porto holds 24), 27 Portuguese Cups (while Porto holds 17) , 1 Portuguese League Cup (while FC Porto holds 0) and 4 Portuguese Supercups (while FC Porto holds 15). But FC Porto having most international titles (6) (while Benfica holds 2), with 2 Intercontinental Cups / FIFA Club World Cup (while Benfica holds 0), 2 European Cups (while Benfica holds 2), 1 UEFA Cup (while Benfica holds 0), and 1 European Supercup (while Benfica holds 0). In total, Benfica having 65titles and FC Porto having 62titles.^[44] So far, a total of 241 matches have been played between the two sides; FC Porto winning 92times and Benfica winning 95times, with 55 ending in a draw (as of 2008).

Matches between Benfica and FC Porto are considered matches with a high risk of violence, usually having 800 police officers present at the stadium.

The rivalry has heated up even more in recent years as both S.L. Benfica president, Luís Filipe Vieira, and FC Porto president, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, have accused each other of corruption and match-fixing.^[45]

[edit] Benfica vs Sporting

The Lisbon derby (Derby da Capital) is the biggest match in Portugal since football started to be played in the country. Played between two clubs with long and successful Histories. They are considered high risk matches (regarding the possibility of violence between the fans). Despite the fact that it as lost its exclusivity as a derby in Portugal (with the rise of F.C. Porto) it is still considered the main clash between the Big Three (SL Benfica,Sporting CP and FC Porto), being dubbed The Classic of Classics.

[edit] Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04

The Ruhr Area (German "Ruhrgebiet"), is the home of the most famous derby in German football.

The rivalry began with a 4-2 Schalke victory on 3 May 1925. Schalke's style of play was described by a newspaper as a wandering ball from man to man in a series of short, flat passes^{[citation needed]}. The "Schalker Kreisel" (literally: the Schalke gyroscope, or spinning top) was born. Schalke won all three matches played in the years 1925-1927. The teams would not meet again until the creation of the Gauliga in 1936.

With the creation of the Gauliga in 1936, Dortmund developed its intense rivalry with Schalke. Schalke was the most successful German club of the era, winning four German championships and one German cup during these eight years. Schalke dominated the early meetings, winning 14 matches, and losing only once, with one match played to a draw.

The Oberliga Era (1947-63) continued to be a reversal of fortune for Dortmund, winning 9 of the first 13 Revierderbies during this era, and losing only 7 of 32 overall. Dortmund also won three Oberliga championships in these years.

The creation of the Bundesliga in 1963 began with Dortmund continuing their winning ways, by taking 8 of the first 10 meetings.

The following years would see Schalke holding a slim advantage since 1991, winning 11, drawing 14, and losing 8 of the matches. Despite Schalke's recent Revierderby success, including losing only two derbies since 1999, Dortmund holds the advantage in overall success during this era, winning three Bundesliga championships, one UEFA Champions League competition, and one Intercontinental Cup since 1995, while Schalke won the UEFA Cup once and the German Cup twice.

[edit] Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers

Following the demise of Drumcondra F.C. in the '60s, Bohemians became the only major club from the Northside of Dublin, automatically coming into conflict with Ireland's most successful club and Southsiders, Shamrock Rovers. Over the decades, the rivalry has been extremely fierce both on and unfortunately off the field,^[46] with large scale riots and disturbances breaking out before, during and after fixtures, resulting in an excessive Garda presence at games.^[47] The fixture is regarded as not only the biggest game in the League of Ireland but the biggest game on the island of Ireland. While there have been many examples over the years of the importance of the fixture and the rivalry to the supporters of each club, one of the more recent incidents of note which sticks out 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.^[48] The incident was one of many to reach the front pages of Ireland's newspapers particularly over the last ten to fifteen years and remained a topic of humour amongst the media for weeks after. In contrast, some of the darker incidents of recent times have been the desecration of the monument commemorating the former home of Shamrock Rovers, Glenmalure Park^[49] and two instances of significant crowd trouble at Dalymount Park in 2000^[50] and Richmond Park in 2003,^[51] with the latter resulting in the eviction of Rovers from the Inchicore venue.^[52][53] While the attendances at the fixture have followed the same sliding trend as the rest of the league's fixtures over the last thirty years, there has been a significant drop over the last two or three years as a result of a number of factors including a clamp-down on atmosphere and freedom within grounds by the FAI and a huge upsurge in abuse and attacks on supporters by police and stewards. The effects of the switch to a summer schedule on league attendances are disputed amongst supporters^[54] but a case can be made in relation to attendances and atmosphere at the fixture since the switch when considering that Rovers vs Bohs games attracted relatively large crowds in the '80s and '90s, including two cup fixtures in the 93/94 season which saw over 10,000 people at each.^[55] One rare positive for the fixture in recent years has been the number of supporters from teams around the world attending the derby and sampling the atmosphere and passion that only comes with a Rovers vs Bohs game.

[edit] Brøndby vs Copenhagen

Since the foundation af F.C. Copenhagen in 1992 it have had a fierce rivalry with fellow Copenhagen club Brøndby IF, and the so-called "New Firm" games between the two sides attract the biggest crowds in modern Danish football. The derby has a total of 28 FCK wins, 22 BIF wins and 13 draws.

[edit] Deportivo La Coruña vs Celta Vigo

As the two largest clubs and cities of Galicia, in northern Spain, both clubs share a fierce rivalry. In the late 90's and early 2000's it only heated up as both clubs vied for Champions League and UEFA Cup positions.

[edit] Fiorentina vs Juventus

Juve's city rivals are Torino, but that local derby pales when compared to Juventus-Fiorentina clashes. Turin-based Juve are Italy's most-popular club with the animosity reaching boiling point when Florence club is the opposition. For Fiorentina fans, this match is the real derby.

[edit] Haka vs HJK

The most known football rivalry in Finland is between FC Haka from Valkeakoski and Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (HJK), Helsinki. These teams dominated the Finnish football scene for almost three decades.

[edit] Internazionale vs Juventus

The Derby d'Italia is a semi-annual football fixture in Italian football between Internazionale and Juventus. It is unique in Italian Football due to the fact that, 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 ever, 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 famous Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera as the bi-annual football fixture in Italian football between Internazionale and Juventus.^[56]

Once Juventus returned to Serie A, the fixture resumed and the first one held was a fiercely contested draw. The first draw in the tie since 2001.^[57] The two teams also have the highest goals total in Serie A history.

[edit] Internazionale vs Milan

Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the Italian clubs A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano (Inter).^[58] 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".^[59]

The most infamous of the derby matches between AC Milan and Inter was the second leg of the Champions' League quarterfinal on 12 April 2005. The game was abandoned after AC Milan goal keeper Dida was hit by a flare.^[60]

[edit] Lazio vs Roma

Main article: Derby della Capitale

The Derby della Capitale, known in English as the Rome Derby, is a biannual yearly football match between Lazio and Roma in the Stadio Olimpico. Considered as the greatest Derby in Italy, and one of the greatest in the world below the Buenos Aires Superclásico and the Old Firm in Scotland, the supporters of both teams wait the whole year for this particular match.

As both sides are based in the Stadio Olimpico, there is no home advantage and this has led to the traditional battles between the Lazio ultras in Curva Nord and the Roma ultras in Curva Sud. Violence breaks out at each derby and, in 1979, Vincenzo Paparelli, a Lazio fan in the Curva Nord was killed when hit by a shipping flare fired across the ground by a Roma fan. Paparelli has become a symbol of the Lazio fans' passion for this Derby.

[edit] Lyn vs Vålerenga

FC Lyn Oslo and Vålerenga I.F. are the two top-flight teams in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The rivalry is thus a result of this, as both sides wishes to stand out as the best club in town. Demographic figures also gives this derby a second dimension, since the clubs are placed in different ends of the city. Lyn attracts a major support in the western part of the city, which is considered to be the wealthiest and 'poshest' area in the country. Vålerenga on the other hand, has originally more fans from the working class in the eastern part of the city. Although the differencies between the two groups are less visible today, the Oslo Derby still nourishes upon this phenomenon, and keeps it alive. Vålerenga has (pr. June 2009) not beaten Lyn in 15 games, even though they have often grabbed a higher position on the table than their rivals by the end of the season. The last time Vålerenga won an Oslo derby was in 1981. The supporters of Lyn are talking about the tale of 'the Derby ghost' which always saves Lyn. One example of this phenomenon was at the 4-4 game in May 2009, considered one of the greatest Oslo derbies of all time, when Diego Guastavino equalized for Lyn in the 88th minute.

[edit] Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain

These two French clubs represent Paris, the national capital, and Marseille, the chief city of southern France. Many French people dislike Paris because of its dominant political, cultural and economic influence, and by extension, tend to dislike its chief football team, Paris Saint-Germain. As one of the largest and best-supported clubs, Olympique de Marseille also attracts its share of detractors. The first edition of OM-PSG was held in December 1971 in Marseille, at the Stade Velodrome. The Marseillais won 4-2 on this occasion. Both teams play in Ligue 1 and meet twice per season (or more if the two meet in French Cup or French League Cup competition). The special character of these oppositions receives considerable media attention. These meetings became important at the end of the eighties and were announced especially by incidents which occurred on and around the ground.

At the beginning of the nineties, Canal+ started to promote near the general public confrontations between the two clubs, making these matches of interest for all French football fans. More and more, the various groups of Marseille and Parisian supporters have hated and battled each other. Important security measures are taken to prevent confrontations between the supporters of the two camps. However, many incidents still occurred at the supporters of the two camps at the time of certain matches. During the 2000-2001 season, a young Marseille fan was paralysed for life after being confronted for sitting near the Parisian section of the Parc des Princes.

[edit] Real Betis vs Sevilla

After a disagreement between the board of directors in the Sevilla FC, several member left to form the Real Betis. Real Betis has been seen as a representative of the blue-collar workers while Sevilla FC is usually assocaiated with the professional white-collar worker. It is regarded as one of the most intense and violent derbies in Spain. The games between the cross-city rivals usually ends in violent clashes between their fans both inside and outside the stadia.

[edit] United Kingdom

It has been suggested that Local derbies in the United Kingdom#Football be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

[edit] Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal and Tottenham are both London clubs, and are situated within five miles of each other, hence the footballing rivalry. The rivalry dates back to 1919 when Arsenal were promoted ahead of Tottenham when it was Tottenham who were more successful that season.^[61] Arsenal have won many more League titles (13 to Spurs' 2), and have won ten FA Cups to Tottenham's eight. Spurs have won more European trophies and League Cups; Arsenal more Community Shields.It should be noted that Tottenham Hotspurs have not beaten their rivals Arsenal in the Premiership since 1999.

An example in recent years that highlights the rivalry is the much criticised 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.^[62] The move even prompted death threats from fans upset that he chose Arsenal.^[63] Such is the depth of feeling, Campbell is still booed (and taunted as 'Judas') with every touch of the ball by Spurs fans in the matches where he features against them - despite having since moved on to Portsmouth F.C.. - almost nine years after his departure from the club. It should be noted that Tottenham Hotspurs have not beaten their rivals Arsenal in the Premiership since 1999.

[edit] Aston Villa vs Birmingham City

The Birmingham derby (also known as the Second City derby^[64]) is the local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Birmingham, England – Aston Villa and Birmingham City. The clubs first met in 1879, when Birmingham City were called Small Heath, the game finished 1-0 to Small Heath, although Villa have won more derbies than their opponents since, and dominate the trophy count, winning twenty major honours to Birmingham's one. On occasions the fans have clashed and violence has occurred. In 2003, a game which saw 2 red cards and a 3-0 defeat for Aston Villa, violence also took place following the game by fans on Witton Lane outside of Villa Park, where missiles were hurled at Police who were attempting to keep both sets of fans apart.^[65]

[edit] Blackburn vs Burnley

Blackburn Vs Burnley is one of the oldest and fiercest derby matches in the game, featuring two former English football champions. Both teams were founder members of the Football League, and both competed in the first ever season, the 1888/89 season. The first ever competitive league match between the two sides took place at Turf Moor on 3 November 1888, and Blackburn won the game 7-1. Blackburn also won the return fixture at Ewood Park 4-2. Blackburn Rovers came out on top in the last match between the sides, beating Burnley 2-1 in the FA Cup 5th round replay at Ewood Park on 1 March 2005.

With the towns being only 8 miles apart, the rivalry is not just related to football. On the pitch the 2 clubs have only been in the same league once since 1983 but still they see each other as the big rival. There have been some cup matches with violent outbreaks in the meantime though. In the early '60s Burnley had the slightly upper hand of the two clubs but in more recent years this changed as Blackburn Rovers won their third premiership title in 1995.

Because of the intense rivalry between these two northern towns, there used to be a tradition of carrying a coffin painted in the colours of either of the clubs if they were ever relegated and when Burnley blew a chance of promotion from Division Four in the 1980s, a Blackburn supporter hired a plane and flew it over Burnley's Turf Moor on the last day of the season with a banner saying "STAYING DOWN 4 EVER, LOVE ROVERS" trailing from it.

[edit] Blackpool vs Preston North End

Blackpool vs Preston North End is one of English footballs most fiercest and oldest rivalries, dating back to 1901. The derby is also known as the M55 derby because the town of Blackpool and city of Preston are at either end of the M55 motorway. The two club stadiums are only seventeen miles apart. The derby has taken place across all four top tiers of the English football league system, though, so far, not in the Premier League.

Gary Peters, who was Preston manager from 1994 to 1998, took the rivalry so seriously he would not use the word "Blackpool" in public, always referring to the club as "that lot with the tower".

Matches between the two clubs have at times had significant consequences. For example, on 30 April 1904, Blackpool visited Deepdale for the final game of the season, and the home side's single-goal victory gave them the Division Two championship, edging out Woolwich Arsenal.

One of the most significant West Lancashire Derbies took place on 13 April 1970, at Deepdale. Blackpool won the Second Division match 3-0, a result which saw them promoted back to the First Division, which was then the top flight in English football, while the result later assisted in Preston being relegated to the Third Division for the first time in the club's long history.

In the 1999-2000 season was also significant for Preston, under the management of David Moyes. Their draw at Bloomfield Road in April 2000 sealed their promotion from Division Two, to the second tier of English football for the first time in twenty years, and with it revenge for the defeat in 1970. Later that month Preston were crowned champions while by the end of the season Blackpool were relegated to Division Three, the bottom division of the Football League, leaving two divisions between the clubs.

On 6 May 1978, at a concert by The Vibrators in Preston, a young man from Preston was stabbed to death during clashes between Preston and Blackpool fans. In 1996 there were 70 arrests when serious disorder broke out when the clubs met at Deepdale and pubs were trashed in Preston. Despite there being no match between the two clubs since 2000-07, the rivalry between the two sets of fans reignited itself on 2 September 2006, when a mini-riot broke out on Preston railway station between Blackpool fans returning from their match at Millwall and local Preston fans returning from an England match in Manchester. Bottles, cans and signs were hurled as the two sets of fans fought each other, and two British Transport Police officers were injured in what the police described as a large-scale disorder.

By contrast to the violence that sometimes surrounds the West Lancashire derby, fans of both clubs have joined together to raise money for local charities. In March 2007, Blackpool and Preston fans joined together for a seventeen-mile sponsored bicycle ride between Deepdale and Bloomfield Road in aid of the Brian House Children's Hospice in Bispham, Blackpool, and Derian House Children's Hospice in Chorley.

[edit] Bristol City vs Bristol Rovers

Though not the most glamorous of rivalries or most recognised, ask anyone from the West Country and you will get the same answer that this football rivalry is right up there with the biggest. Although Rovers fans, or Gasheads, mainly live in the North and East of the City with City fans mainly living in the South, with the two grounds being less than 5 miles apart the two sets of fans live and work amongst each other and this gives rise to the rivalry's ferocious reputation, which over the years has frequently sparked trouble off the pitch between the two sets of fans.

On the pitch City have a superior record to Rovers. City have come off better 43 times compared to Rovers 29 wins when the two teams have played each other in competitive matches, with a further 33 games ending in a draw. In recent years the two teams have not played each other regularly with the two clubs being in different leagues. The last match played was the 06-07 Football League Trophy Southern Area Final, which after 2 legs finished in a 1-0 win to Rovers, a Ricky Lambert goal in the 2nd Leg at the Memorial Stadium (Bristol) winning the tie.

The rivalry is so ferocious that the two sets of fans even argue about which club is the oldest. Rovers can trace their roots back to 1883 when they formed as the Black Arabs. City formed some 14 years later as Bristol South End FC, but joined the Football League in 1901, some 20 years before Rovers. However, "Gasheads" (Rovers fans), often remind "Shitheads" (City fans) that their current club has only been in existence since 1982, when they folded and started a new company known as Bristol City Football Club 1982 Plc, with no attachments to the old club. This often causes City fans to be called "82'ers" by the opposite set of fans.

[edit] Cardiff City vs Swansea City

Known as the South Wales derby this fixture produces one of the most fierce and heated rivalries in British football. Cardiff (being the capital of Wales) and Swansea (Wales' 2nd city) are only 40 miles apart. Cardiff City F.C. (Bluebirds) and Swansea (Jacks) fans have been embroiled in ugly scenes inside and outside the ground during the '70s, '80s and early '90s when football hooliganism was rife. The two teams have not met between 1999 and 2008 because they have both found themselves moving around the various divisions in English football, therefore avoiding each other.

Both sets of supporters share a pure hatred for each other, trading spiteful songs or chants with one another. A handful of players on opposing teams have performed Cardiff fans signature move The Ayatollah while playing against Swansea and have come in for a torrent of verbal abuse. The Swans often refer to their "swim away" chant. The Swim Away refers to an incident when Swansea played Cardiff at the old Vetch Field and a mob of Swansea fans chased a group of Cardiff fans into the sea in Swansea Bay. The derby needs a huge security presence that has the police working hard to keep both sets of supporters apart.

In the last decade Cardiff has been the more successful of the two clubs, winning promotion to Division 3 (League 1 as it now known) and again winning promotion in 2003 to Division 2 (The Championship). In the same time Swansea languished in the bottom two divisions. But in the 2007/08 season both clubs enjoyed success when Swansea won promotion to The Championship as League 1 winners, while Cardiff reached the final of the FA Cup against Portsmouth. The 2008/09 season sees the clubs play each other for the first time in nine years.

Both teams are set to play each other 3 times in the 2008/09 season (2 in the Championship, the other in the Carling Cup). The first match between the two teams was on the 23 September 2008 in the Carling Cup at the Liberty Stadium. Swansea City won that game 1-0, advancing to the next stage of the competition. However, there was trouble after the game between some Swansea fans and the police. Some fans have been arrested and charged with the offences, some of whom have been given bans from football matches for three years, all of whom were from the Swansea area. The two teams then played at Ninian Park on January,5 2009, where refere Mike Dean was struck on the head by a coin, thrown from a cardiff stand. Cardiff fans then clashed with police and damaged the Swansea busses after the match, relating to 5 arrests and more due to CCTV.

[edit] Celtic vs Rangers

The biggest and most intense derby in the world, the Old Firm derby between Scottish teams Rangers and Celtic is more than a football match - it pits religion, politics and opposing social attitudes against each other. Both clubs play in Glasgow, Scotland and the match is one of the oldest derbies in the world, dating back to 1888.^[66] The Old Firm derby is also one of the most contested matches in the world, with over 370 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. Both teams have won many titles, but currently Rangers are ahead of Celtic with 52 league titles to 42.^[67]

This rivalry is considered the best in the world, with amazing atmospheres and loud chanting, it is easy to understand why it is. Millions tune in to the Old Firm derby across the globe. 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 political conflict in Northern Ireland, with thousands of fans from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland making the trip to Scotland for these matches.^[68] There is even violence in Northern Ireland following Old Firm games.^[69] Indeed, the rivalry between the two clubs is so great that only five players have ever moved between clubs. In 1980, around 9,000^{[citation needed]} 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 is responsible for the most accumulative arrests in any game in the world, whereby there is an average of 150-200 arrests outside or inside the stadium before and during every Old Firm match^{[citation needed]}. 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.^[70]

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); Rangers 5 Celtc, 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 Glasgow derby is 132,870 for the 1969 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, won 4-0 by Celtic. This is a record breaking attendance.

[edit] Derby County vs Nottingham Forest

The rivalry between the two clubs was not, initially, a great one. In the 1880s the town of Derby had two clubs, Derby County and Derby Junction, whilst the city of Nottingham had Forest and Notts County as local rivals. Even when Derby Junction folded and became part of Derby County animosity between the two clubs went no further than friendly banter. The two clubs first met in 1892 following Forest's election to the Football League that same year when it was expanded to two divisions in size after four years as a one tier setup. Forest has formed in 1865, 19 years before Derby, but had elected to join the Football League's rival, the Football Alliance, instead in 1889-90. Their winning of the Alliance title in the 1891-92 season ensured they were voted into the First Division when the two leagues where merged in 1892. The fixture was held at least twice a season from 1892 until 1906, when Forest were relegated. Due to the two world wars, and the fact both clubs had a habit of enjoying success at different times, they jointly contested in only 6 league seasons (or 12 matches) for the next 64 years, all of which came in Division Two, with an additional four meetings coming in the FA Cup.

In the past 38 seasons, since the fixture returned onto the First Division fixture list in the 1969/70 season, meetings have been slightly more common, though not as common as the Merseyside, or Manchester derbies. Both clubs have jointly contested 16 league seasons, 12 in the Top Flight and a further four in the second tier.

The rivalry has it is known today really developed in the 1970s when former Derby manager Brian Clough took over at Forest, much to the anger of the Derby fans. This, alongside the fact that Forest fans do not see Notts County as a genuine threat as they have traditionally occupied the bottom two tiers of English football whilst Forest the upper two, lit the torch between the two supporters and there has been a bitter rivalry ever since. Both Derby and Forest fans have a large hatred for each other, and on a number of times have clashed. One famous incident occurred in the 1980s when, after a game, Derby hooligans teamed up with Leicester City (who also have a strong dislike for Forest) to cause trouble in Nottingham city centre and confront the Forest fans. Over 60 fans from all sides were arrested. The two sets of supporters did, however, put their differences aside to commemorate their former manager Brian Clough in a special memorial service at Derby's Pride Park Stadium following his death on 20 September 2004. The two met in the Championship just 6 weeks later in an emotional match which saw Derby win 3-0, their biggest win over Forest in 25 years.

Arguably the most controversial meeting between the two clubs was the most recent. 2 November 2008 saw the return of the fixture following a three year absence. The match ended as a 1-1 draw, but was arguably the most eventful in recent memory, thanks to a controversial performance from referee Stuart Attwell, who, wrongly, disallowed two Derby goals in the final few minutes, and booked 8 players and issued a straight red to Forest midfielder Lewis McGugan in a match that was not particularly dirty. Jewell was especially vocal in his dismay at Attwell's performance, accusing the 25-year old official of 'losing control' of the game and 'robbing' the Rams of a victory. The press furore around his display saw Attwell called in for a meeting with Referee's Chief Keith Hackett and was consequently axed from the following weeks fixture list.

[edit] Everton vs Liverpool

The homes of English teams Everton and Liverpool are so close that the Merseyside Derby is a very local derby. The derby is often known as the "friendly" derby, with families in Liverpool often split down the middle.^[71] Liverpool are the more successful of the clubs, winning eighteen league titles and five European Cups and other European trophies, while Everton have won one European trophy and 9 league titles in total.^[72] The relationship became somewhat less friendly and more heated after Liverpool fans were blamed for the Heysel tragedy which caused the death of 39 Juventus fans during the 1985 European Cup Final: because of this, UEFA enforced a six-year ban on all English clubs from European competition, (LIverpool were given a longer ban than the other English teams) causing 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 which side of Stanley Park the derby is taking place at. In recent years, the rivalry has become increasingly more intense as Everton are steadily climbing the league table, whilst Liverpool's famous Kopites still take great pride and joy in reminding Everton fans that Liverpool FC are still the most successful club on Merseyside.

[edit] Glentoran vs Linfield

This derby revolves around the rivalry between Belfast'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 Unioinst/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^[73][74]. Games between the two sides have frequently been marred by outbreaks of hooliganism.^[75][76] and even the appearance of animals at the 1985 Irish Cup final.^[77] 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.^[78] The incident led to the Irish Football Association suspending the traditional holiday fixture for two years in an attempt to control the violent rivalry.^[79] 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.^[80]

[edit] Heart of Midlothian vs Hibernian

This rivalry between the two biggest Capital sides is one of the oldest derbies in Scotland, stemming back to 1875 when Hibernian were formed. The first match between these sides came on Christmas Day 1875 in a friendly which Hearts won 1-0. Hearts hold the upper hand in the head-to-head between these sides with 130 victories in competitive matches compared with Hibs' 84 wins in competitive matches; there have also been 85 draws. Hearts hold the record winning margin a 10–2 victory in a Friendly at Easter Road on 12 August 1893; Hibs hold the record winning margin in a competitive derby with a 7–0 victory at Tynecastle on 1 January 1973. Between 1989 and 1994 Hearts went on a record 22-game unbeaten streak against Hibs before Hearts were finally beaten 1–0 at Tynecastle in August 1994. The Edinburgh Derby is normally played at Easter Road Stadium, home of Hibernian or Tynecastle Stadium, home of Hearts. The record attendance at an Edinburgh Derby came on 2 January 1950 when 65,860 people watched Hearts beat Hibs 2–1 at Easter Road; this was also a record Scottish attendance for a match outside Glasgow. This record is unlikely to be broken in the near future as both clubs' stadia have capacities of around 18,000.

The events of 1990 turned the Edinburgh Derby into more than just a footballing rivalry. Hibs were in financial difficulties at the time and the then Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer believed that the only realistic way to challenge the dominance of Rangers and Celtic was to have a united Edinburgh side; he wanted to merge the two clubs together as one single force. The reaction to those plans was fierce on both sides. Hibs fans started up their "Hands off Hibs" campaign and Hearts fans wanted to keep their identity as it was. Eventually local businessman Tom Farmer, owner of Kwik-Fit stepped in to save Hibs. Farmer had no great interest in football but stated at the time that he thought it was important to the local community that Hibs kept their identity. Mercer was then forced to abandon his idea of a takeover. Wallace Mercer died in January 2006 after a long battle with cancer, Hearts' next match after his death was a home match against Hibs. Hearts decided to hold a minute's applause in his memory which was disrupted by many Hibs fans which shows that many fans still feel so much anger and resentment towards him even after his death.

[edit] Ipswich vs Norwich

The East Anglian Derby is a sobriquet used to describe football matches held between Ipswich Town and Norwich City. It is also described humorously as the Old Farm Derby, a reference to the Old Firm derby played between Celtic and Rangers. According to the Football Rivalries Report 2008, the East Anglian Derby is the second fiercest rivalry in England after the Black Country derby between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In a total of 138 matches, Ipswich have a slight edge, winning 59, while Norwich have won 52, the remaining 27 being drawn. Ipswich have scored 203 goals whilst Norwich have scored 178. The highest attendance in the derby at Portman Road is 35,077 in a First Division match in September 1975 while Carrow Road hosted 39,890 spectators in an FA Cup match in January 1962. John Wark is Ipswich's leading goalscorer in the derby with nine goals.

[edit] Leeds United vs Manchester United

The Roses rivalry^[81] is a footballing rivalry between the Northern English clubs Leeds United and Manchester United. The name of the rivalry is derived from the historic Wars of the Roses which was carried out between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, this has led to a strong rivalry between the historic counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, which can be seen between these two clubs.^[82] Independent research by the Football Fans Census has shown that in English football both Leeds and Manchester United are within the top three clubs which fans of other sides feel passionately against.^[83]

In the past, rivalry between the two clubs has gone beyond the action on the field at Old Trafford and Elland Road. During the 1970s when British football hooliganism was at its height, the fights between Leeds' Service Crew and Manchester United's Red Army, two of the most notorious hooligan firms in Britain, became known as some of the most violent clashes in British football,^[84] this led to many people getting hurt and still in the modern day when the clubs play there is a high security level.^[85]

[edit] Liverpool vs Manchester United

Being the two most successful teams in English football history, Liverpool 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.^[86] Liverpool player Steven Gerrard also believes this to be true.^[87]

Liverpool and United both have a wide fan base from all over the world, which probably contributes to this rivalry being seen as more important than either team's traditional rivalry with local teams Everton and Manchester City. Many consider it to be the biggest Football rivalry in the world. However, as well as Football; it is a rivalry between two cities, only 30 miles apart. This began when Manchester built a ship canal, which enabled them to by-pass the River Mersey. The consequence of this was many Liverpudlian Dockers lost their jobs - this caused great resentment and anger.

The two clubs have developed a vicious hatred of each other, fuelled by incidents of hooliganism in the 1980s and 1990s. Also, by the singing of spiteful, even sickening songs targeting the two clubs' respective sore points, the Munich and Hillsborough disasters. Liverpool's hooligan firm is called 'The Urchins' and they frequently clashed with Manchester United's 'Red Army' and still do to this day. In this hateful atmosphere, boiling point is often reached with the authorities having to work very hard to avoid major confrontation. Every League game between the two clubs kicks off very early, this minimises the risk of violence but because of the fierce loathing the two sets of supporters have for each other, the danger remains. Both sets of players receive terrible verbal and sometimes even physical abuse during these intense fixtures.

Inside Anfield and Old Trafford, the atmosphere is always incredibly hostile and the Spion Kop at Anfield is always an awesome cauldron of noise when these two massive clubs clash. There hasn't yet been a European meeting between the two clubs, if and when that does occur; the atmosphere will undoubtedly be electric.

[edit] Manchester City vs Manchester United

The Manchester derby is a fierce rivalry between Manchester's two teams City and United. The City fans refer to the United fans as "Rags" while the United fans refer to the City fans as "Bitters" and "Massives". The games have seen many violent clashes down the years both on and off the pitch. The rivalry was at its best in the 1960s and 1970s when both teams were equal in terms of quality and success with City winning the league championship in the same year United won the European cup. City's lack of success in recent years has led to the United v Liverpool F.C match a bigger occasion for United as they are both fighting for trophies although the fierce rivalry is still there with the build up to derby day in the city as intense as it was in the 1960s. Both sets of fans are constantly digging each other with United fans having a banner inside Old Trafford with a ticker in reference to City's years without winning a trophy and City fans mentioning that they are the only football team to come from Manchester due to the fact United are based in Old Trafford which is a district in the Borough of Trafford which is in Greater Manchester whereas City were based in Moss Side and are now based in Clayton which both are districts in the City of Manchester. Both sets of fans claim Manchester is either Blue or Red which led to a study by the Manchester Metropolitan University carrying out a survey of who had the most season ticket holders in the area's with a 'M' postcode. The results were although United had the most season ticket holders in the Greater Manchester area with a 'M' postcode, City had the most season ticket holders in the City of Manchester. Two Boroughs in Greater Manchester are considered both blue and red strongholds with Stockport being a blue zone and Salford being a red zone.

Manchester United won the most recent encounter between the two clubs with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in May 2009, courtesy of goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. This win completed a season double over City, who had done the same to United in the 2007-08 season.

[edit] Newcastle United vs Sunderland

The Tyne-Wear derby is a fierce inter-city (although the cities are only about 10 miles apart) derby in England's north-east contested by Newcastle United FC and Sunderland AFC.^[88] The first competitive match between the sides took place on 24 December 1898 at Roker Park in which Newcastle triumphed 3-2. Sunderland's biggest ever victory in their history was a resounding 15-1 victoryover Rivals Newcastle. Newcastles biggest ever victory over sunderland was 3-1 back in 1991. Their latest game was a 1 - 1 draw at St James Park, with Djibril Cisse scoring the opener and Shola Ameobi equalising with a penalty kick, following a foul on Steven Taylor awarded by Howard Webb.

[edit] Portsmouth vs Southampton

An extremely fierce rivalry which rages on the south coast of the United Kingdom, with immense hatred between each group of supporters. To Portsmouth fans, Southampton fans are known as "Scummers". The term originates back in history with the Portsmouth and Southampton docks. There was a strike, and Portsmouth agreed with Southampton to close both ports to improve conditions and pay for the workers. However, the Southampton port secretly opened whilst Portsmouth was striking, and took all of the trade. Portsmouth workers then referred to the workers as 'Scum', which soon evolved to 'Scummer'.

The choice of the word 'Scum' is specific, as it is an acronym of the Southampton Port workers Union at the time, Southampton Community Union Members* *

• This is an urban myth no evidence can be found of any strike. People from Portsmouth add 'er' on to words eg. mater and sonner that is where scummer came from.

Whereas, to Southampton fans, Portsmouth fans are knowns as Skates. When sailors were miles from home with no women in sight, they used to use skates to, uh.... But it's never caught on in quite the same way as Scummers.' Illingsworth admits to his part in the invention of Skates as a derogatory term for Pompey fans. It was well known that Portsmouth people delighted in calling sailors "skates".

This feud is well known in English football and is not helped by Harry Redknapp's involvement at both clubs. He joined Portsmouth as a director and slowly became Manager of Portsmouth, however after guiding them to the 'promised land' of the Premier League, he jumped ship and joined 'the club down the road' Southampton. To make the situation worse, from Southampton's point of view, he led the team to a 4 - 1 defeat at the hands of Portsmouth at Fratton Park. On top of this, after 'Judas' as he had become known to Portsmouth fans, led Southampton to the second tier of English Football, where they still remain. Redknapp then rejoined Portsmouth and was forgiven.

However he has since left again for Tottenham Hotspurs, taking Jermain Defoe with him.

[edit] Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday

The 'Steel City Derby' is a fierce local derby, which has been due to lots of crowd trouble over the years. It is between the two football teams of the city of Sheffield. Fans refer to the other clubs players and fans as 'pigs', though there are other names such as the nickname 'Wendy' given by Unitedites to their counterparts. It is often an important match for the fans, since many United and Wednesday fans work, learn and live with their rivals.

It first took place on 16 October 1893 and since then the teams have met a total of 120 times, with United having won 3 more of the encounters than Wednesday. United have led the series of league encounters since 1951. Sheffield United have won 44 to Sheffield Wednesdays 41 with 37 finishing with a draw. The biggest victory by United was a 7-3 win in 1951. Wednesday's best result was a 4-0 win in 1979. United have completed the league double on 10 occasions, while Wednesday have done the double on 6 occasions.

Former Wednesday player Alan Quinn became the first and currently only player to score for both sides in a Sheffield league derby when he scored for United in the December 2005 game, having previously scored Wednesday's goal in their 1-3 defeat at Bramall Lane in 2003.^{[citation needed]}

The 1979 Boxing Day derby at Hillsborough was watched by a record Third Division crowd of 49,309 spectators.

The game is referred to as The 'Steel City Derby' due to Sheffield's heritage as a steel-making city. Pundits often refer to it as 'the Sheffield Derby'. This is also the name given to a derby between two non-league teams Sheffield and Hallam, the oldest derby in the World.

[edit] Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Bromwich Albion

Having played each other over 150 times competitively, including 5 games in the 2006/7 season, this is one of the biggest and most underestimated rivalries in English football. According to a Littlewoods survey of 6,000 fans, this rivalry came out as the biggest in football. The rivalry doesn't just occur when the teams are playing each other, with both teams having terrace chants which they sing at each game, such as for Wolves "Always **** on a Tesco carrier bag" and "We Hate Albion" as well as their rival's "Always **** on the old gold and black" and "The Dingles". There are many more songs aimed at each other regularly.

Though, due to the yo-yo promotions of the teams between the Premier League and Football League Championship both clubs seem to avoid each other in their promotions and relegations, and have yet to meet in the Premier League.

[edit] Africa

[edit] Al-Ahly vs Zamalek

The biggest rivalry in Egypt and the Arab world is the rivalry between Egyptian giants Al-Ahly & Zamalek.^[89] Al-Ahly & Zamalek were named by the Confederation of African Football "CAF" as the top two African clubs of the 20th century.

Both teams are located in Greater Cairo and their match is considered the highlight of the football season with live television broadcast to most of the Arab countries since the seventies. The rivalry is closely fought, but Al-Ahly has the biggest win between the two teams since the league commenced in 1948, winning 6-1 at their home stadium in 2002.^[90] However, the largest result between the two sides was Zamalek's 6-0 win over Al-Ahly in the 1944 Egyptian Cup final.^[91][92] The derby matches are so intense as to require foreign referees to officiate them.^[93] back then in 1966 a penalty against Al Ahly drove Shly fans crazy and drive the to riot causing damages to Zamalek's main stadium and burning a factory near the club. Recently, the intensity of rivalry caused the authorities to redirect traffic in Cairo during the mach day, so that supporters of the two teams will not face each other in their way to and from Cairo stadium.

[edit] Asante Kotoko vs Hearts of Oak

The biggest rivalry in Ghana, and one of the biggest rivalries in sub-Saharan Africa is between Accra Hearts of Oak SC and Asante Kotoko. Kotoko are the club of Ghana's second largest city, Kumasi, while Hearts of Oak play their home games in the capital, Accra. The buildup to the derby games is covered extensively in the Ghanaian press, and support for the two clubs is widespread and greatly outstrips support for any of the other teams in the Ghanaian Premier League. 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 as the result of a stampede which broke out after clashes between supporters and police.^[94]

[edit] Club Africain vs Esperance

Esperance used to be the club of the lower class people and Club Africain the team of the "intellectual" (the club was founded by students). The Club Africain headquarter is located in Bab Jedid, an old area of the city where the rich used to live. Nowadays it's a pretty poor area. Esperance's headquarter is located 1 km from that of club Africain, in Bab Souika, a very popular area. After the independence of Tunisia, Club Africain slowly became more popular among the poor especially because Esperance was being managed by businessmen and politicians. Both clubs are very popular these days.

[edit] JSK vs USMA

The derby of the Kabyle people. The JSK (jeunesse sportive de Kabylie) and the USMA (union sportive de la médina d'Alger) are the two most prestigious teams of Algeria, and major teams in the African league (the JSK is the second most titled team in Africa, after the Egyptian Al-Ahly, and the sole team to have won all African cups). This derby has a very strong political significance: the JSK is usually seen as the team of the Kabyle "bourgeoisie" (upper classes) with right-wing political views, while the USMA gain its support from the Algiers's Kabyle working class, mostly of left-wing and "algerianist" Kabyle political parties's supporters (in contrast with the strong Kabyle nationalist positions of JSK's fans). This rivalry is considered by the FIFA as one of the most important and intense in the world.

[edit] Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates

The South African Soweto derby between the nations two most popular teams, one of the few fixtures in the domestic fixture list to fill the stadium. The teams have played each other 33 times since the Premier Soccer League was formed in 1996.

[edit] Raja Casablanca vs Wydad Casablanca

Violence - on and off the field - is a frequent occurrence at Morocco's big derby. Raja, formed in 1949, have their roots in the struggle against colonial power France. Last year a derby was played behind closed doors following crowd problems.

[edit] Asia

[edit] East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan

The event known as the Kolkata Derby involves the two main football clubs of Kolkata, India. In Indian football, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are arch rivals. Mohun Bagan, being the oldest club of Kolkata (of Asia also), has a large fan base among the old residents of Kolkata. On the other hand, East Bengal club is mostly popular among the people who come from East Bengal (now known as Bangladesh).^[95]

The rivalry can be considered as a manifestation of one which already had existed between the two sub-category of Bengali people - "Ghoti" (residents of the western part of undivided Bengal) and "Bangal" (residents of the eastern part of undivided Bengal before the independence of India) since the independence and division of India. These two clubs met in 1925 for the first time and they have played almost 285 matches with each other since then. Out of this number, East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan 106 times and Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 80 times. Usually these two local Titans meet in Yuva Bharati Kridangan(Salt Lake Stadium), Kolkata where about 100,000 fans enjoy the match.^[96]

[edit] Esteghlal vs Persepolis

The Tehran derby is a football local derby match that takes place twice a year between the two most popular clubs in Tehran - Esteghlal F.C. and Persepolis F.C.. Stadiums are always packed to capacity when the two teams play (For Example Azadi Stadium Hosted 100,000). Despite being a derby between two teams from Tehran, the match has been played in other Iranian cities as well. The Tehran derby is the most important club game in Asia according to the AFC.

The first derby match between the teams took place on 5 April 1968, at Amjadieh Stadium where the game finished as a scoreless draw. At the tim, e Esteghlal was known as Taj FC. Both clubs were relatively young but Persepolis had a solid fan base, because of its close association to the once popular Shahin club. The rivalry between Shahin and Taj was transferred to its current stage when the Shahin club had to cease operations due to poor relations with the IFF.

Over time, the rivalry became more heated and club fans began attaining collective identities. By the mid-'70s Persepolis was seen as a working class club, while Taj was viewed as a club close to the ruling establishment and supported by the upper class of Iranian society. Persepolis fans outnumbered Esteghlal fans by large numbers at the time and still do, although the gap has been decreasing every year.

Because of the sensitive nature of the matches, fan violence has occurred several times. In minor cases, fans break chairs or throw garbage at the field, but more notable cases of violence have involved physical fights between opposing teams and fans, storming of the field by fans, as well as significant destruction of public property.

Ever since 1995, federation officials have invited foreign referees to officiate the game to ease fan and player suspicions of referee bias. This occurred after the events of the 38th derby (see below).

Azadi Stadium has been the stadium where most of the matches took place, but Amjadieh Stadium (now Shiroudi) in Tehran, Azadi Stadium in Bandar Abbas and Yadegare Imam Stadium in Tabriz have all hosted the game at least once.

[edit] Melbourne vs Sydney

The rivalry involves Australia's Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC also called The City Derby. The rivalry came about since the inception of the A-League where Melbourne and Sydney were the two largest cities in Australia. It carries on from a longstanding rivalry between the two cities where the 2 cities have competed both in Sport and also in Politics. The clubs are two of the most successful and influential football clubs in the country and encounters between the two are generally seen as the most important football games in Australia, generally pulling in the largest match day attendances and TV audiences of the regular season. Each encounter has often been filled with spite especially amongst the fans where several incidents between supporters of the clubs have occurred^[97], along with many excessive amount of players being sent off and even coaching management over the years getting involved in many confrontations^[98], has made the City Derby the most anticipated match in Australian football.

[edit] Newcastle United Jets vs Central Coast Mariners

The rivalry involves Australia's Newcastle United Jets and Central Coast Mariners. They are generally considered to be the fiercest rivals in the A-League due to being two of the closest teams demographically. The rivalry starts in the stands where the fans clash and then the heat turns up on the field. The hatred started before a ball was even kicked when some former Newcastle fans of the old NSL became fans of the new franchise of Central Coast and the rest remained loyal to Newcastle United. The rivalry really took off in the first ever game between the clubs where Matt Osman broke the leg of Andrew Durante in a horrendus tackle.

Over the years, the rivalry has got worse and worse, the fans have clashed numerous times and the meeting of the two clubs often draw biggest crowds of the year. The rivalry hit a new level when the Newcastle supporters group were caught throwing coins, cans etc at Central Coast players.

[edit] FC Seoul vs Suwon Samsung

One of the biggest football rivalries in South Korean K-League, is the derby match between Suwon Samsung and FC Seoul. Originally, it was the rivalry was between Suwon Samsung and Anyang LG Cheetahs, a former club of FC Seoul. The rivalry started in 1996, when then Suwon's manager Kim Ho had conflicts with his assistant coach Cho Kwang-Rae. Cho Kwang-Rae quit the club, and joined Anyang as manager. The rivalry got fiercer when Seo Jung-Won, a former star player from Anyang decided to return to K-League after spending a season at RC Strasbourg, France. Even though when he left Anyang for Strasbourgh, he promised to Anyang that he would return to Anyang when he comes back to K-League, he decided to move to Suwon instead, as they offered higher wage. Angry Anyang fans collected Seo's Anyang shirts and burned them Later in 2004, Anyang decided to move to Seoul, the nation's capital and the largest city for both financial and supporting profits, and changed its name to FC Seoul. Suwon supporters have since called FC Seoul 'Northern Traitor' because of their action of abandoning Anyang's supporters, and both of them does not accept each other as rival, but in fact, their rivalry has been even fiercer since. On 8 April 2007, the match between Seoul and Suwon at Seoul World Cup Stadium recorded attendance of 55397, which still remains as the highest attendance record in K-League.

[edit] See also

• Local derby
• Argentina and Brazil football rivalry
• Argentina and England football rivalry
• England and Germany football rivalry
• France and Italy football rivalry
• Germany and Netherlands football rivalry
• USA and Mexico football rivalry

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• FootballDerbies.com
• [1]kolkatafootball.com