major part

Major football rivalries

This article deals with major football 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.

Americas

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. 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. Contrary, Universitario de Deportes is the team of the medium-high class, founded by professors and students of the National University of San Marcos. Universitario has been able to host only one game against Alianza Lima at their stadium, Monumental.

América vs Guadalajara

A long-standing rivalry between the teams of two of the most important cities in México: Chivas of Guadalajara and América of Mexico City.Chivas is known for a long-standing tradition of fielding only Mexican-born players, contrasting with América, who typically hires famous foreigners. América is owned by Televisa, the main communications company in México, 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).

This match is sometimes seen as the match of the 'capitalinos', the inhabitants of Mexico City, versus the 'provincianos', the people from the rest of the country. Both teams have been very successful, with Guadalajara having won 11 championships, and America 10.

Boca Juniors vs River Plate

These two teams from Buenos 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. 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 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. Due to their huge fan bases (Boca has 40% of the Argentine population and River 33%, contrary to the popular claim that Boca is club of the half plus one (la mitad más uno), and remarkable success, the enmity encompasses a major part of the country's populace.

Known worldwide for the passion of the fans, the stands of both teams are loaded with passionate songs (often based on popular Argentine rock band tunes) against their rivals, fireworks, flags and rolls of paper. 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

Grêmio vs Internacional

Gre-nal is the largest derby in Brazil, proportionally speaking, since it divides in half the southern region of the country, something that no other Brazilian derby does.

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 (International).

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.

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.

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

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.

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. Currently the success of the clubs is split pretty evenly, with Flamengo having recently marginally more cup success.

Fluminense vs Botafogo

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.

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 5th , and are the 3rd and 4th successful teams in terms of the total number of league championships (amateurs and professionals leagues) won.

These 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.

Monterrey vs 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 86 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 concentraded in a single city, rather than most of the country.

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. 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 (others milan-inter/roma-lazio), 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. 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.

Palmeiras vs Corinthians

The biggest 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.

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, then 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.. This is one of the greatest rivalries in the world.

Colo-Colo vs. Universidad de Chile

This is one of the biggest rivalries in Latin America, 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 it's 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 dictatorship 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".

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.

Europe (east)

Steaua Bucharest vs Dinamo 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 & The Secret Service (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 Steaua Ultras movement began in 1995, when the bases of Armata Ultra (A.+U.100%), the first Ultras group from Bucharest (and second in Romania after FC Politehnica 1921 Ştiinţa Timişoara's Commando Viola Ultra Curva Sud), were set. The group quickly reached an impressive number of members, but, in 2001, they dissolved due to internal problems. Currently Steaua's supporters are comprised of several groups, most of them located at the Peluza Nord (North End) (Sharks Ferentari, Tineretului Korps, Titan Boys, Nucleo drumul Taberei, Gruppo Tei, Skins Berceni, Insurgenţii, Armata 47, Ultras Colentina, Gruppo Est Voluntari, Triada, Roosters,etc.), with some other ones taking their place at the Peluza Sud (South End) (Ultras, Stil Ostil, Glas, Vacarm, Banda Ultra, etc).

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.

Crvena Zvezda vs Partizan

FK Partizan was founded in 1945 as the football section of the central club of the Yugoslavian Army. Red Star was founded in 1945 as well but it was more the civil club. The rivalry between the two clubs is known to be pretty fierce and violent.

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.

Dinamo Zagreb vs Hajduk Split

The Eternal Derby (Vječiti 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.

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.

Fenerbahçe vs Galatasaray

This is the clash of Turkey's two most successful teams; Fenerbahçe S.K. and Galatasaray S.K.. For some fans, winning the derby is more important than winning the league.. Fenerbahce has 20 more wins than Galatasaray in the derby table. Fenerbahce was far more successful in the old times however today there is a balance of power between the two giants as both have 17 domestic titles in their trophy cabinet. The widest score between the two teams is 7-0, which was won by Galatasaray in 1911, and in 2002-03 season Fenerbahçe won a 6-0 victory against archrival Galatasaray in Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on 6 November 2002.

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.. 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. Since 1958, Fenerbahçe have won 17 and Galatasaray have won 17 first league titles. Since 1963, Galatasaray have won 14 Turkish Cups and Fenerbahçe have succeeded only 4 times. Although both teams were founded in the 1900s, there were no professional football tournaments or national leagues before the 1960s because of wartime and political issues.

Both teams are sponsored by Adidas and Avea, both of the teams kits are very alike.

Levski Sofia vs CSKA 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. 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. 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 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.

Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos

The Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos is the most important rivalry in Greece. It's called Derby of the eternal enemies (Ντέρμπι των αιωνίων αντιπάλων) or Mother of all battles (Greek: Μητέρα των μαχών). They 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 relatively more successful in European competitions (however none of the two teams has ever managed to win a European title, although Panathinaikos reached the 1971 European Cup Final).

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 Athens and the whole of Greece in two. Traditionally, Olympiacos used to represent the working class of Piraeus and other parts of the capital, being known for their fanatic fans, 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). 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.

Sparta vs Slavia

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 Sprata's homepage

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.

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.

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.

Slovan vs Spartak

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

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. This rivalry also obtained a flavor of Ukrainian-Russian ethnic rivalry, in which Dynamo represented Ukrainian people, while Spartak represented the dreaded Moscow authorities.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dynamo Kyiv

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.

Europe (west)

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.

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.

FC Copenhagen vs Brøndby IF

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.

FC Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund

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.

Real Mallorca vs Atlético Baleares

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.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

The rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain is generally considered to be one of 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.

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.

As the two biggest and most successful clubs in Spain, the rivalry is renewed on an almost annual basis with both teams often challenging each other for the league championship. 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. At the European stage Real is the most successful club in all of Europe, winning the European Cup/UEFA Champions League 9 times while Barça has only won the UEFA Champion's League twice.

Benfica vs FC Porto

The biggest clash in Portuguese football is the one between Benfica and FC Porto (it is widely known as O Clássico - 'The Classic', in Portuguese). 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), SL Benfica having most national titles (62) (while Porto holds 55), with 31 Portuguese Championships (while FC Porto holds 23), 27 Portuguese Cups (while Porto holds 17) and 4 Portuguese Supercups (while FC Porto holds 15). But FC Porto having most internacional titles (6) (while Benfica holds 3), with 2 Intercontinental Cups / World Clubs Championship (while Benfica holds 0), 2 European Cups (while Benfica holds 2), 1 UEFA Cup (while Benfica holds 0), 1 European Supercup (while Benfica holds 0) and 0 Latin Cup (while Benfica holds 1). In total, Benfica having 65 titles and FC Porto having 61 titles.. So far, a total of 211 matches have been played between the two sides; FC Porto winning 82 times and Benfica winning 79 times, with 50 ending in a draw (as of 2008).

Matches between Benfica and FC Porto are considered matches with a high risk of violence, usually having 600 police officers present at the stadium.

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

Paris-Saint-Germain vs Olympique de Marseille

Paris represents the capital of France, Marseille represents the south of France. Lot of people hates Paris because it's the most important city. Both teams play in Ligue 1 and meet two times in a season (or more if PSG play against OM in French Cup or French League Cup). The special character of these oppositions is largely maintained by the media. These meetings became important at the end of the eighties and were announced especially by incidents which occurred on and around the ground. It is at the beginning of the nineties that Canal+ starts to promote near the general public confrontations between the two clubs, making these matches of great sporting appointments for all French football. It is little by little a great tension between the Olympian and Parisian supporters founded. More and more, the various groups of Marseilles and Parisian supporters hated each others. This great competition between supporters still exists in the years 2000. To each go between these two clubs, important security measures are taken to prevent to the maximum of the 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 season 2000-2001, a young person to support Marseille is paralysed for life after having received a seat coming from the Parisians section of the Parc des Princes. 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.

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.

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. The two teams also have the highest goals total in Serie A history.

Milan vs Internazionale

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). It is usually a semiannual fixture in the Italian football league Serie A; however, the derby has also taken place in the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League. It is called "Derby della Madonnina" in honour of one of the main sights of the city of Milan, the statue of the virgin Mary on the top of the Duomo, which is usually called "Madonnina".

The most infamous of the derby matches between 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.

Lazio vs Roma

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. The supporters of both teams wait the whole year for this particular match.

Djurgårdens IF vs AIK

The derby games between AIK and Djurgårdens IF, both clubs founded in the central parts of Stockholm, are traditionally filled with rivality and tifos from both sides are frequent. The teams were founded the same year, 1891, and all since then the rivality have grown bigger. One of the most well known games in modern time was the derby in 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 a nickname: "Tvillingderbyt" or the twin derby just becouse they were founded the same year and in the same city.

FC Basel vs FC Zürich

Since the 60s, when Basel and Zurich often decided the Swiss championship between each other, the ancient rivalry between the two citys was rekindled. Since then, there are often riots before and after the two teams meet.

Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers

Main article: To be started by a registered rovers/bohs fan.

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, with large scale riots and disturbances breaking out before, during and after many fixtures. 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. 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. 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, a huge upsurge in abuse and attacks on supporters by police and stewards and the switch to a summer schedule which has drastically improved european results but damaged attendances and atmosphere within grounds. 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.

Africa

Al-Ahly vs Zamalek

The biggest rivalry in Egypt and the Arab world is the rivalry between Egyptian giants Al-Ahly & Zamalek. 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. However, the largest result between the two sides was Zamalek's 6-0 win over Al-Ahly in the 1944 Egyptian Cup final . The derby matches are so intense as to require foreign referees to officiate them..back then in 1966 a penalty against Al Ahly drove ahly 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.

JSK vs USMA

The derby of the kabyle people. The JSK (jenesse sportive de Kabylie) and the USMA (union spotive de la médinat d'Alger) are the 2 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 have a very stong 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 classe, mostly of left-wing and "algerianist" kabyle politial parties's supporters (in contrast with the strong kabyle nationalist positions of JSK's fans). This rivality is considered by the FIFA as one of the most importants and intenses in the world.

Hearts of Oak vs Asante Kotoko

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.

Asia

Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal

The event known as the Kolkata Derby involves the two main football clubs of Kolkata, India. In Indian Football, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, these two clubs 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 have origin in East Bengal (now known as Bangladesh).

The rivalry can be considered as a manifestation of one which already had existed between the two sub-category of Bengali people - "Ghoti" (i.e Those who were the resident of the western part of undivided Bengal) and "Bangal" (i.e Those who were the resident 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 Since today they played almost 285 matches with each other. Out of this number east benagal beat mohon bagan 106 times and mohon 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. - Kolkata football derby - East Bengal Vs Mohun Bagan

Esteghlal F.C. vs Persepolis F.C.

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 time 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-70's 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.

UK

Aston Villa vs Birmingham City

The Birmingham derby (also known as the Second City derby) 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. On footballderbies.com this is the highest rated English derby and is regarded as one of the most passionate in England. On occasions the fans have clashed and violence has occured. In 2003, a game which saw 2 red cards 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.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal and Tottenham are both London clubs, and are situated almost on top 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. Arsenal have won many more League titles, and have won 10 FA Cups to Tottenham's 8. Spurs have won more European trophies, League Cups and Community Shields.

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. The move even prompted death threats from fans upset that he chose Arsenal.

Blackburn vs Burnley

Blackburn and 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.

Celtic vs Rangers

The biggest and most intense derby in sport, 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, when Celtic first beat Rangers 5-2. 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 50,000 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 51 league titles to 42.

Rangers are considered a Protestant club with Unionist and loyalist supporters, while Celtic are considered a Catholic club with Republican and Nationalist supporters. It has long had connections with the 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. There can be occasional violence in Northern Ireland following Old Firm games . Indeed, the rivalry between the two clubs is so great that only five players have ever moved between clubs. In 1980, around 9,000 fans fought an on-pitch battle in the aftermath of Celtic's 1-0 victory in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. The Old Firm is responsible for the most accumulative arrests in any derby, whereby there was an average of 150-200 arrests outside or inside the stadium before and during any match. The Old Firm rivalry fuels many assaults and even 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 nine-fold 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.

The highest aggregate score in the three major domestic competitions between the Old Firm clubs is eight goals, and this has happened on seven separate occasions: 4-4 twice (Scottish Cup on 16/2/1956, Premier League on 22/3/1986); Celtic 5 Rangers 3 once (League on 22/9/1894); Celtic 6 Rangers 2 three times (League on 14/12/1895, 10/9/1938, and 27/8/2000); Celtic 7 Rangers 1 once (League Cup Final on 19/10/1957). The latter result is the biggest margin of victory for either side in any official Old Firm match.

The record attendance for the Glasgow derby is 132,870 for the 1969 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, won 4-0 by Celtic.

Hibernian vs Hearts

Considered by many to be the second biggest rivalry in Scottish football after Rangers and Celtic. The rivalry between the two biggest Capital sides is one of the oldest derbies in Scotland, stemming back to 1875 when Hibernian were formed. While Hibs originated as a Roman Catholic side and Hearts the Protestant side, the rivalry contains virtually none of the sectarian undertones and history of the Old Firm rivalry. 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 127 victories in competitive matches compared with Hibs' 82 wins in competitive matches, there have also been 82 draws. Hibs hold the record winning margin in the Edinburgh 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 club's stadia have capacities of around 17,000.

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 were 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.

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.. Liverpool are the more successful of the clubs, winning eighteen league titles and five European Cups and other European trophies, while Everton have only won one European trophy and half as many league titles in total. The relationship became somewhat less friendly and more heated after Liverpool fans were responsible 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.

Liverpool vs Manchester United

Probably the biggest rivalry in England;

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. Liverpool player Steven Gerrard also believes this to be true.

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.

The two clubs have developed a vicious hatred of each other, fuelled by incidents of hooliganism in the 1980s and 1990s, and by the singing of spiteful songs targetting the two clubs' resepctive sore points, the Munich and Hillsborough disasters. In this hateful atmosphere, boiling point is often reached with the authorities having to work very hard to avoid major confrontation.

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. The first competitive match between the sides took place on 24 December 1898 at Roker Park in which Newcastle triumphed 3-2.

Roses rivalry: Leeds United vs Manchester United

The Roses rivalry 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. 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.

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, this led to many people getting hurt and still in the modern day when the clubs play there is a high security level.

Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday

It first took place on 16 October 1893 and since then the teams have met a total of 120 times, with United having won 5 more of the encounters than Wednesday. United have led the series of league encounters since 1951. Sheffield United have won 44 to Sheffield Wednesdays 39 with 37 finishing with a draw. Wednesday have a poor recent record at Bramall Lane and have not won there since 1967. The biggest victory by United was a 7-3 win in 1951. Wednesday's best result was a 4-0 win in 1979. Wednesday have not done the double over United since the 1913-14 season. United have completed the league double on 10 occasions, while Wednesday have done the double on 5 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 derby at Hillsborough was watched by a record Third Division crowd of 49,309 spectators.

The last result occurred on the 8 April, with a 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane.

Bristol Rovers vs Bristol City

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 haven't 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.