7 Biggest Rivalries in World of Football
7 Biggest Rivalries in World of Football
Rivalries provides fans with some of the most passionate match-ups in sports, but they
aren't always pretty. Here we take a look at some of the beautiful game's ugliest rivalries.
7. Ajax vs Feyenoord
'De Klassiker' is the Netherlands tastiest affair. A nation famed for its friendliness and
relaxed attitude allows itself a bit of hatred when these two meet.
Both clubs are the pride of their respective cities (Amsterdam and Rotterdam) and take
the clashes very seriously.
The match up is viewed as the classic struggle between the cultured 'artists' of Amsterdam and the 'workers' of Rotterdam. Hooliganism has marred the fixture since the 1970s, including a tragic incident in 1997, when an Ajax supporter was beaten to death by a group of opposition fans.
In February of this year, an effigy was hanged in the Amsterdam Arena of Kenneth
Vermeer, as protest to the goalkeeper switching between the two clubs.
6. Persepolis vs Esteghlal
The Tehran derby in Iran is widely recognised as Asia's most important and heated rivalry.
A common theme of footballing rivalries, much of the animosity between the sets of fans stems from their duelling identities. Persepolis occupy the ideology of working class, against Esteghlal's upper class or 'establishment' persuasion.
With crowds surpassing 100,000 for a typical clash, many of the city's businesses shut
down on the day of the game.
Fan violence is typical and recorded clashes have seen everything from rubbish being
thrown on to the field, to pitch invasions and destruction of public property.
Since 1995, foreign match officials have been invited to referee the tie in order negate
any lingering suspicions of bias.
5. Roma vs Lazio
Serie A is no stranger to feisty feuds but perhaps the biggest of the lot is the
'Derby della Capitale'.
When in Rome, the fixture takes place in the shared Stadio Olimpico, which has been
the staging point for far too many ugly scenes of racism and rioting over the years.
The rivalry began as a simple territorial dispute, but has evolved into something much
more sinister. While it was Roma who were actually started by a Mussolini-backed merger, it is the Lazio 'ultras' who have subsequently cultivated the reputation for 'extreme' political banners and chanting that would even make Trump blush!
4. Liverpool vs Manchester United
No derby list would be complete without mentioning the Premier League's king of clashes.
The North London and the Tyne-Wear derbies are undoubtedly special affairs, but the
rivalry between England's two most decorated clubs is still one of the most anticipated
in the footballing calendar.
Fuelled by geography and competition for footballing dominance rather than politics, the fans
are normally rather well-behaved in the stands and leave it to the players to do battle.
And boy do they battle. The North West derby has produced 16 red cards in the Premier
League (the second highest) of any fixture.
Thanks in no small part to Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have built up a substantial
lead over Liverpool, winning 80 competitive meetings between the two, compared with the Merseysiders 65
3. Celtic vs Rangers
The 'Old Firm' derby is more than just a game of football. The hostility of the tie has its roots in nationalism, religion and social ideology.
Historically, Rangers' traditional support was from the Protestant community of Glasgow, while Celtic's was generally from the Irish Roman Catholic population, with the confrontation between the two sets of fans often labelled as 'Sectarianism'.
The rivalry has spanned over 120 years, with very first meeting between the two coming in 1888 at Celtic Park. The Hoops won 5-2 that day.
Matches between the two have been limited over the last few years, after the Gers had
relegation to the Third Division enforced upon them in 2012.
However, with Mark Warburton's side back in the Scottish Premiership, the two are
duking it out once again.
2. Boca Juniors vs River Plate
From 'el Clasico' to 'el Superclasico'. Everything is bigger in (South) America.
Ranked by Four Four Two as the biggest derby in world football, the fight between the two big powers of Argentina is not one for the feint of heart.
It's also one of the oldest fixtures, with the first clash taking place way back in Buenos
Aires in 1908 (when the American president was Theodore Roosevelt).
After splashing the cash early on, River got the nickname 'Los Millonarios'. It’s a moniker that has come to define the difference between the affluent River Plate and their scrappy, working-class neighbours.
While the quality of football these days may not be as high a top European derby, the
fans are almost the main attraction and the crazy scenes (which occasionally spill over
into violence) at both la Bombonera and Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
are beyond almost anything else witnessed in football.
Gabriel Batistuta is one of few men brave/mad enough to play for both clubs in his career.
1. Barcelona vs Real Madrid
'El Clasico' has been the setting of numerous memorable events over the years. Including
but not limited to: some incredible goals, a Mourinho eye-poking and THAT pig's head.
The bad blood between the two Primera Liga giants goes way, way back. As early as the 1930s , Barcelona came to symbolise Catalan identity and separatism, in contrast to Real's centralism and links to the Franco regime.
Since then, the animosity has remained with many who hold left-leaning political views
favoring Barca over Real. It doesn't help that both are battling it out for global footballing dominance to boot.
Phil Ball, the author of Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football, says about the match;
"they hate each other with an intensity that can truly shock the outsider"
Real Madrid currently lag the head to head results (or electoral college) with 95 wins to Barcelona's 107, in the fixture that features more bookings per match than any other in all European leagues.
