Football (or soccer to many), the beautiful game, can become a matter of life & death for some clubs & its supporters. Cultural, as well as regional, differences contribute to the fierceness of these clashes & performances of players in such matches decide whether they will be eternally loved or hated. A mistake or a moment of magic can create history, but can also result in brawls, fights, clashes & riots. Here are the 10 most fierce & important rivalries in the world of football. Have I missed any? Feel free to add your own.
Derby Paulista is a name that is known among the traditional São Paulo soccer clubs, Sport Club Corinthians Paulista and Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras. It is the rivalry between two football clubs still active in the oldest city of São Paulo. The Derby Paulista is among the 10 greatest classics of the world. Corinthians and Palmeiras have already decided state championships (Campeonato Paulista), regional (Torneio Rio-São Paulo), national (Campeonato Brasileiro) and wave to the end of continental competition (Libertadores Cup of America). No other classic has decided so many major championships.
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 against 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.
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 make up 8 Copa Libertadores and 6 Intercontinental Cups.
The 0-0 draw of 14 April, 1990, was not for lacking a good 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 with several boxing and karate kicks and chops, in which 9 players had to spend a month in jail, along with one of the coaches. Two editions of the match were played abroad, one in La Plata (Argentina) in 1960, the other in La Coruña (Spain) in 2005, due to the risk of local crowd interruption & brawling.
Fenerbahçe SK versus Galatasaray SK is a Turkish football rivalry involving two of the most successful clubs in the Süper Lig. It is also a local derby, one of many involving Istanbul clubs. The rivalry is more than a century in existence, and has developed into an intense and often bitter one, traditionally attracting large attendances. Both clubs compete against each other for the title of the most successful football club in Turkey, as well as the greatest Turkish sports club overall. Their football departments have always been the most attractive among their fans, but the rivalry also extends into other team sports such as basketball, volleyball, athletics, rowing. Galatasaray SK is the more successful of the two, having won 68 official titles compared to Fenerbahçe SK’s 66 titles. Fenerbahe SK is the most successful in their head-to-head fixtures, while Galatasaray SK boasts of their achievement in winning the 2000 UEFA Cup Final and the 2000 UEFA Super Cup, being the only Turkish side to have won them so far.
Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the Italian clubs Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano. It is a hotly contested local derby and is one of the most followed derbies in the football world. Along with the Rome and Turin derbies, it is widely considered one of the major cross-town derbies in the Serie A, so much so that only selected referees may officiate whenever these teams meet. It is a biannual 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 the only derby in Europe played by two teams which have been champions of Europe and the world. It is called “Derby della Madonnina” in honor 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 history between Liverpool and Manchester United is one of the most significant sporting rivalries in football, sometimes referred to as the North West derby. Both clubs hail from the North West of England, they are also the two most successful teams in England, and between them they have won 115 honors. With Manchester United’s victory in the Premier League season 2008-09, the two clubs are tied with 18 league titles in England. Despite Liverpool’s success in England, they have failed to win the Premier League, since its founding in 1992. Winning the League Cup in 2010, Manchester United set a new English record of 33 domestic honors – moving one clear of the Merseysiders for the first time. As well as competing on the football pitch, both teams are also two of the biggest-earning, and widely-supported, football clubs in the world. The rivalry has extended to the players as well.
The name Derby d’Italia (Italian for “Derby of Italy”) was coined back in 1967, by the famous Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera, as the biannual football fixture in Italian football between Internazionale of Milan and Juventus of Turin. The name was also given to this fixture as Inter and Juventus were (as in 1967) the two teams with the highest number of international (the first) and national (the latter) honors.
The matchup between Juventus and Inter is one of the most intense derby matches in Italy, between two teams not from the same city. The two teams are also ranked first and second in wins and goals in Serie A history. The match features two clubs who have never been relegated from the Serie A (prior to the Calciopoli scandal in which Juventus were forcefully relegated for their role in it).
Superclásico is the name used to describe the football match in Argentina between Buenos Aires rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate. It derives from the Spanish usage of “clásico” to mean derby, with the prefix “super” used as the two clubs are the most popular and successful clubs in Argentine football. Due to their huge fan bases (Boca has 40% of the Argentine population and River 33%), 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, and sometimes end in riots between the most ardent 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.
The Superclásico is known worldwide as one of the fiercest and most important derbies. In April 2004, the English newspaper, The Observer, put the Superclásico at the top of their list of “50 sporting things you must do before you die”, saying that “Derby day in Buenos Aires makes the Old Firm game look like a primary school kick-about.”
One of the biggest and most intense derbies in the world, the Old Firm derby between Scottish teams Celtic and Rangers, 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. 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 53 league titles to 42. The most recent Old Firm ended Celtic 2-1 Rangers.
This rivalry is considered by many to be one of the most fervent 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. There is even 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. This remains the worst invasion onto a football pitch ever reported. The Old Firm rivalry fuels many assaults and many deaths on Old Firm Derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms increase 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, and hundreds and thousands of assaults.
The Derby della Capitale (English: Derby of the capital) is the local football derby in Rome, Italy, between the two major teams of the city, Lazio and Roma. It is considered to be the fiercest derby in the country ahead of the other major local derbies, Derby della Madonnina (Milan derby) and Derby della Mole (Turin derby), and one of the greatest and hotly contested capital derbies in Europe. The derby has been historically marked by massive crowds, excitement, violence and – recently – racist banners in the crowd.
Some extreme incidents in particular have left their mark on the history of this fixture. In 1979, Lazio fan Vincenzo Paparelli was hit in the eye and killed by a flare fired by a Roma fan from the opposite end of the stadium, becoming the first fatality in Italian football due to violence. In 2004 an unprecedented event occurred when the Roma ultras forced the game to be suspended after spreading false rumors among the crowd that a child had been killed by the police prior to the beginning of the game. In the recent derby, in December 2009, the referee stopped play for some seven minutes, just 13 minutes into the first half, due to fireworks being thrown onto the pitch. The derby on March 21, 2004, was abandoned four minutes into the second half, with the score tied at 0–0, when a riot broke out in the stands and the president of the Italian Football League, Adriano Galliani, ordered referee Roberto Rosetti to suspend the match. After the match was postponed a prolonged battle among fans and between fans and police ensued, with stands being set on fire and people fleeing the stadium, eventually resulting in over 13 arrests and over 170 injured among the police alone.
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. 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 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 flash-points of this rivalry are the twice-a-season clásicos, which draw vast audiences from around the world. Real has won more La Liga and Champions League titles than Barça, but Barça has won more Spanish Cups, Cup Winners Cups and UEFA Cups. Also Barça became the first Spanish team to win the treble (2008–2009). In 2009, they won six competitions, becoming the first team to win all competitions they entered in a calendar year. The rivalry has also been strengthened throughout time by Real Madrid and Barcelona top players who have defected to their arch-rival. Notable Barcelona players who have later played for Real Madrid include Bernd Schuster (1988), Michael Laudrup (1994) and Luís Figo (2000). Luis Enrique switched from Real Madrid to Barcelona in 1996 and went on to captain the Blaugrana.
A 2007 survey by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas determined that Real Madrid was the team with the largest following in Spain with 32.8% of football fans, while Barcelona had 25.7%. The next team, Valencia CF, was 5.3%. Barcelona in turn seems to be the most popular team in Europe. According to a survey made by SPORT+MARKT in 2009, Barcelona have about 44.2 million supporters throughout Europe, which is about 2.9 million more than the number of Real Madrid supporters.
millwall v west ham should definitley be on the list if not number one
i absolutely agree with you mate. i'm a massive hammers fan, i was expecting it, but it seems the author is more fixated on the spanish and american leagues
hammers forever
No, he was just being honest. They don't even play each other any more. Millwall are *****e..so are West Ham though tbf.
we played eachother last year in the carling cup and if west hams decline is anything to go by we will be playing eachother twice next year. the title says nothing about the quality of football it says biggest soccer club rivalries of all time of which millwall v west ham is the biggest.
If the layman doesn’t know about the rival it gives so credence to the idea the suggestion that it is not THAT big as intense as it maybe in its own microcasm. Millwall are to Sh@tty and so too West Ham these days.
im not exactly the biggest fan of english football, but ive never heard of millwall, ive heard of west ham though, and they arent really number one in the premier league are they
im forever blowing bubbles…
Where the ***** is bristol city against rovers? huh?
That messi lad’ll have no chance against their back fours
In England, the local rivalries (Manchester Utd v Man City, Liverpool v Everton, Arsenal v Tottenham) are bigger than the Liverpool v Manchester rivalry.
I agree, I think Man U v Liverpool is now a bit outdated, although there will always be a bit of heat amongst the two.
I'm a United fan, and I'm not sure if I agree. United-Man City games mean more to the latter to be honest. It's always about how close the teams are in the table. United used to worry more about Liverpool because they were more of a title threat, whereas Man City were a mid-table club. With the money influx that is changing slightly, which is why last year saw the most intense, and brilliant, derbies in recent memory.
I would rather win at Anfield than at the City of Manchester stadium.
Nothing more beautiful than Liverpool on a derby day. lol
This should read "or soccer to SOME" rather than to "MANY".
Interesting list though. Thanks for a great read!
Completely agree. It is only called soccer in the USA, everywhere else it is football
It is called soccer in Australia where we follow Aussie Rules or Rugby League or Union depending on what part of the country you live in.
The word "Soccer" comes from Britain.
From wikipedia: "The rules of association football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other versions of football played at the time, such as rugby football. The word soccer is a colloquial abbreviation of association (from assoc.) and first appeared in the 1880s. An early usage found in an English 1892 periodical. The word is sometimes credited to Charles Wreford Brown, an Oxford student said to have been fond of shortened forms such as brekkers for breakfast and rugger for rugby football. Clive Toye noted that even English people called the game "soccer" interchangably with "football" until the second half of the 20th century. "A quirk of British culture is the permanent need to familiarize names by shortening them. … Toye [said] 'They took the third, fourth and fifth letters of Association and called it SOCcer.'”
Who gives a *****? Doesn't mean it is still in use or relevant to the right people.
99% of words in the English language come from Britain (albeit with roots from many other languages – but they still came via Britain).
Wow. I mean, wow. That's one of the most atrociously stupid comments I've read in a while. Everything you said is either wrong or illogical.
First, just because you don't give a ***** doesn't mean other people don't. Second, YES, the fact that the word soccer is British MEANS something. The fact that the word was not American in its roots MEANS that it didn't emerge from a spiteful or otherwise ill-intentioned American as many people would LOVE to think. You people love to take away American merits (often in an over-stretching fashion) by pointing out some degree of European origin that they had, but obviously you hate to admit involvement in things like this, as it suits you. How incredibly convenient.
Second, "the right people"? What the Sam Hill does that mean? Who's "the right people" and, more importantly, who's "the wrong people"? I'm not even going to say anything else about this. That you think some people are "right" and some are not says a lot about you.
And third, yes 99% of words in the English language come from Britain. Figured that one out by yourself, did ya? But if a word originated in Britain it is, by definition, not an Americanism. That's what the person above is trying to say. Nothing more, nothing less. So I can't really see your point there.
So how does that make the word “many” not apply?
??? — i dont get it either
uh-huh
this reminds me of that conversation you and i had a couple months back, about how many grains of sand equal a pile.
'many' is just a indefinite amount of people (many people eat aardvarks) — (yeah 5)
or
— numerous — a large amount — a majority of people (if there are 7 people and 5 of them eat aardvark jerky)—-
something tells me that grassy knoll is not going to be able to subscribe to this ideology
Because when you are referring to a sample* "many" suggests most or at least a large proportion use the word soccer, whereas of the people describing this game very few use the name soccer so "some" is a more appropriate term. "Some" indicates a smaller rather than larger proportion.
Make sense?
(*in this case: people naming the sport that is played on a rectangle field, with a round ball, that must be pushed into the goal WITHOUT TOUCHING THE HANDS OR ARM to score a point)
when you are referring to a sample, "many" suggests most or at least a large proportion
That’s not correct. “Many” does not mean or suggest “majority/most” or a “large proportion”. It just means “a large number”. Which is true here. “Some” just means an unspecified number that is more than one. Also true in this situation, but no more or less true or appropriate than “many”. Look, we all get it – the U.S. is one of the few countries that routinely refers to the game as soccer rather than football. No one disputes that. So stop arguing semantics when clearly the OP was just trying to be derogatory.
And even if "many" did mean "a majority," you would be hard-pressed to prove that MOST ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS say "football" to refer to association football, as opposed to "soccer." Together, the English-speaking part of North America and Oceania make up an INCREDIBLY large portion of the Anglosphere. I'd say it's clear that a majority of native English speakers use the word soccer.
A misconception is that soccer is barely played or talked about in the US, therefore the fact that the country is more populated than the UK doesn't mean the word is not widely used. That's false. If you look up "football" on Google it yields 780 million results. "Soccer" yields 383 million–almost half as many. Taking into account that the results for football are split between American Football and Association Football (and more likely than not, most refer to American football–"football NFL" yields more than twice as many results as "football FIFA"), it is not only very much possible, but very likely, that the word "soccer" is more popular than "football" to refer to Association Football. Now, I know that given that Americans are much, much more likely to use the Web than people from other countries, this might not be a fair comparison, but it DOES show that the use of the word "soccer" can PERFECTLY rival the use of the word "football" in the English language.
So yeah, Maggot, you're absolutely right.
The Old Firm should definitely be number one, the oldest rivalry by two of the oldest teams, a rivaly that really goes much deeper than football, while Barca Madrid is based on politics too Rangers vs Scum is much more than that, even any English fan would say the Old Firm is the most bitter rivalry in sport.
Celtic vs. gutter roaches
Rangers vs Paedophile, Nazi scum. (Ie Celtic)
Sounds about right.
rangers fans go to manchester and riot and attack the police celtic have never been involved in trouble like that rangers are the real scum and unfortunately for u the whole world knows it !!
“the whole world knows it” over here in Australia u r refferred to as “scumtic” and everyone hates u here.
*Two of the *****test team (rivals) in the world.
- There ya go mate.
Celtic VS Scotland's Shame
never seen such a lack of class then old firm so boring nothing game ***** football
#1 was always going to be Real & Barca.
I'm a Barca fan myself and with Villa on board this season, they are going to be a goal scoring machine.
Jose at Real will have the same problem real has always had; many big talented stars who don't play as a team.
you mean Celtic v Scum don't be silly, I agree that i should be number 1
thats what you say, what other saw was a total opposite. jose certainly build a team effort squad following the pre season matches. and added to the telent of the players, gonna be one hell of a team. gonna be super huge for madrid this year. and for barca, good luck with sevilla. hehehehe.
I'm the smallest soccer fan in this world… but I quickly scrolled threw, saw Celtic and Rangers and just had to go back to actually read the list. It's crazy that rivalries in sports are almost like rivalries in countries/regions and in general just politics.
@kaymayer:: ""I'm the smallest soccer fan in this world… ""
um……yeah…….
……..no
i have a small —-9 inch tall — 13 pound blue-point himalayan cat named zuria that begs to differ
"deth fore manchester younited"
"i can haz moar golz! – i can haz moar chez dip!"
–you're a cat, not a pig, zuria—be quiet and watch the game—
"mew…mew.."
—good girl—
not bad i allways watch barca vs Real and rangers celtics should be lower those are pretty weak teams
Damn it brock! I thought you had a chance on this list.
Remember rule #14 of the internet
yeah and i don`t give a ***** what you think
im scottish so i no tht both teams are weak but the RIVALRY between them is one of the worst in the world nd barca vs real should be lower on the list
Shut the ***** up brock! Rangers v tims is well the biggest and best derby, obv dont know wht your on about u sack! WATP
Like Everton VS Liverpool!
I think the thing with Everton v Liverpool is that it is known as one of the tamer rivalries. It was noted for years that opposition fans could even sit in the same stand together. Ain't gonna happen with Celtic-Rangers!
America vs Chivas.
This is for those that follow the Mexican league, Primera División de México.
Yay! I didn't honestly think it would make the list, but it's nice to see it in the comments.
Gotta admit it, I'm a Chiva! Here's hoping Chivas hoists the Liberator's cup tonight!! Arriba El Rebanio Sagrado!!!
its should at least be number ten america ame ame de mi vida
True I thought they were going to put it
America 4ever
Liverpool vs Manchester United?! No Liverpool vs Everton, Man City vs Manchester United, or Millwall vs West Ham?! And Celtic vs Rangers should be #1
America vs Chivas.
Agree with you willis, the old firm is top. There is just hate shared between them, the players are idolised on both sides. It divides the whole country in half. In my own family we don't talk about which teams we support.
The problem with the rivalry is that the two teams have the lions share of the t.v rights money. Neither will back down which leads to a weaker league overall. The rivalry is so intense that they are damaging their own team.
El classico is nowhere near as fanatic as the old firm.
Happens in other countires too. Not exactly a unique trait. Besides, both Celtic and Rangers are *****e in comparison…
if Americans call it soccer then doesn't mean it's soccer for everyone, it's football, it was invented in Europe before Americans had their wanna be rugby for girls.
The beauty of soccer (or football) was that soccer was invented every where. Many civilizations from around the world played a form of soccer at some point.
handegg
lets get ready to rummmmmmmmmmmmmmble!!
But soccer as we know was invented in Europe, I think England specifically.
Soccer itself is an older term than football. The founders of Association Football just took the "soc" out of association and added -cer at the end. Football came around later (don't remember how much later).
The word "Soccer" came from Britain.
From wikipedia: "The rules of association football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other versions of football played at the time, such as rugby football. The word soccer is a colloquial abbreviation of association (from assoc.) and first appeared in the 1880s. An early usage found in an English 1892 periodical. The word is sometimes credited to Charles Wreford Brown, an Oxford student said to have been fond of shortened forms such as brekkers for breakfast and rugger for rugby football. Clive Toye noted that even English people called the game "soccer" interchangably with "football" until the second half of the 20th century. "A quirk of British culture is the permanent need to familiarize names by shortening them. … Toye [said] 'They took the third, fourth and fifth letters of Association and called it SOCcer.'”
I was hoping someone pointed this out, its annoying how much Brits cry about this
If REAL football is for girls, then how come none of you pansy mofo's come over here and play it? Maybe because you're to busy flopping around for a penalty?
Soccer and Rugby are for girls, real men play NFL Football.
Because the rest of the world is smart enough to realize that American Football is the most useless and pansy-ass game ever invented. When only your country thinks it's worth playing, maybe everyone else is just ahead of the game. Oh. Pun. Bam.
Sorry can't get into a game with ten seconds of action every five minutes three hours of commercial breaks, twenty pounds of pads and no athletic ability besides weight lifting.
And I can’t get into a game of 90 minutes of nothing, players writhing on the ground like they’ve been shot, with no athletic ability besides being marathon runners,and fans killing each other.
West Ham vs Millwall should have definately been there. The fans meet up before matches to fight it out
Sorry but that was in the 70s.
Disagree, go to london prior to the game, choose your jersey of choice and get an a** kickin' from t'other fans. won;t be such a smart ass then
Man U vs Liverpool? Taking the *****, right?
United v Liverpool is about more than football rivalry. It harkens back to when the Manchester c***** system was built, taking jobs from Liverpool docks. It's a fierce rivalry.
Lets hope so… Either that or he knows something we don't..
yay go the Rangers!!!!!
Are they from Norway?
Nice list, more info on the football hooligan firms of these clubs would be cool . To be honest i probably wouldn't be too keen on this list hand i not seen , football factory and rise of the foot soldier etc .
Great films hey!
awesome films . Green street hooligans sucked.
Both are fake. Sorry.
Then you will like Cass. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0954981/
What? No Arsenal vs tottenham, Man united vs Mancity , Everton vs Liverpool , Newcastle vs Liverpool , Real madrid vs Athletico?
Newcastle versus Liverpool? Really?
Newcastle-Liverpool? Really?
im guessing you mean newcastle vs sunderland?
often overlooked by outsiders, but easily the fiercest rivalry in england.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2005/oct/23/ne…
mohun bagan vs east bengal
hehehehe
Yeah defo. And Dundee vs Schalke.
I'm pretty sure a component of the list was also the influence of the said teams on continental football – the reason the Old Firm isn't number one and why Arsenal v Tottenham or West Ham v Millwall isn't here.
The thing with Barca vs. Real is that although it isn't as "strong" as the Old Firm it's between two of the biggest clubs in the world all-time and it always has a billion viewers. These are hard to beat advantages. Also the two are some of the teams to beat in the world today. Rangers and Celtic are unimpressive outside of scottish borders.
I’d go for Real Madrid.
Wow, you're an astute fellow.
Yeah agreed i think the Man Utd vs ManCity plus numerous other combinations are far more rivaled then just Man Utd vs Liverpool
To be honest it's only been recently that city have challenged united, it has been mostly one sided. With Liverpool there was a genuine threat of losing.
True. Very true.
Genral observation: MUFC are dead and burried.
Yes, finishing above all but one of the sides in the Premiership does that to you. Fifth is the place to be!
United v Liverpool instead of City v United?
Fail list fails.
The worst part of soccer/football here in Australia is the racial violence that accompanies the bigger games. Serbs vs Croats etc. Although I have very little interest in the game itself, the "tribal" aspect of it which involves real violence is something that blights it here and gets the media attention. Interesting list 7raul7, thanks.
Violence between Serbs and Croats? Remember what English football was like, in the 70`s and 80`s with Hooliganism? Or-"The English Disease." I wish we were like that now..
When the A-league was formed, a requirement was that the clubs *not* be be ethnically based. Probably the biggest rivalry so far is Syd v Melb. The ethnic rivalries and violence happen at state league level or below.
Sorry, but you're getting mixed up with people that give a *****.
Where`s Eric Cantona vs Matthew Simmons?
It’s not soccer!!!
Yes it is
for the country who didnt invent the game maybe dip***** but as we invented u go SOCCer dick
the word soccer originated in England. Fyi.
Who the hell cares?! Can we just talk about the damn game instead of arguing over words?
biggest rivalry in German football is probably FC Schalke vs Borussia Dortmund (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revierderby )
Where is Ajax – Feyenoord?
Good teams only.
u mean ajax 4 times CL winner not good enough? go back and study son
massive rivalry in the Greek National competition.
Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.
As i understand it, only home-team spectators are allowed to watch the game in the stadiums…
And yes, it is called football in most countries.
great list.
I'm from Liverpool, and believe me, the Liverpool vs Everton rivalry is a far bigger deal than the Man U one.
What about Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates?
The Soweten derby is huge in Africa!
Also, how about Blackburn vs Burnley?
Things can get pretty violent among those fans when they play.
Bahahaha; what a retard.
nobody even knows those teams i would never watch those derbie`s even if you would pay me 100 $
OLYMPIAKOS vs PANATHINAIKOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Man U & Liverpool? Everton and Liverpool the Merseyside Clash!
Then why is it that Arsenal N Man u always have a lot of tension when playing
you can thank tv for this
Because IT'S PREIMERSHIP FOOTBALL?!
for me always manchester united vs city as most of my family are city fans urgghh lol.
how on earth can you leave out milwall and west ham? its the quintessential football rivalry
To who though? Do you think Spanish, French, Argentinian, US, Australian people care about a vicious rivalry between a lower Premier League club and a, until recently, League One side?
That rivalry was enough to spawn numerous films, so yes, i would have thought that despite the 'lower level' of teams, a list called THE BIGGEST RIVALRIES (not most popular teams) would have included it.
That was at least 200 years ago. Both teams are ***** now.
great list, shameful you excluded panathinaikos vs olympiakos though
an example of how bad the rivalry is
in 2005, when i went to to greece, i asked some of my cousins to take me to this match
the answer i got was "do you actually want to be killed?"
did you go?
because someone says this to me everytime i am holding tickets in the black hole at oakland alameda county colliseum to watch the raiders, but those guys are always a bunch of pussycats.
Wow, very insightful/factual depiction there.
thats right what your cousins told you, same goes for galata-fener matches, red star-partizan, cska-spartak, etc.
Ah, how sad for you. At least you're getting yourself a little attention.
i know, right?
yesterday when this cat wrote the same thing, in the same place, at the same time, the same distance down the list, no one paid any attention to him.
and, after all, he is first — the first one to leave the 63rd comment.
" do you want to get killed?" at a child's game, but no all of you guys are right Americas sooooooooooooo violent, simply amazing
Should have Tottenham Arsenal. Clearly just rivals you hear about, not a lot of research has been done.
nice list,but i would definitely have put Arsenal-Tottenham,Panathinaikos-Olympiakos and Ajax-feyenoord in there,even west Ham-Millwall (if it was a regular fixture). But to not have Celtic-Rangers at no.1 is beyond me.
Cardiff City V Swansea City
Sorry Wales isn't really a country.
KimBar, does that even matter? The theme is soccer club rivalries and CCFC mentioned Cardiff City v Swansea City. What point does your pointless, pathetic, nasty little comment serve?
Since when was this an English list?
Oh and don't go mental at me I hardly ever comment on these lists.
Anyway you can't help where you where born.
SNAPPY COME BACK MATE! who said i was talking to you- I guess you just assumed that, like most people assume things about my country, where please where did Isay this was a English list ? Check your facts next time please
Never really agreed with biggest rivalry lists. The biggest rivalry will be the one that involves the team you support! I’m a wolves fan and probably no one outside England will know that wolves v west brom is a derby. It’s very intense trust me!
Yeah, but, lets be honest; they're both pretty ***** teams.
"I find it funny that nearly everyone on here is so anti-U.S. that they feel the need to take shots at every list that has more than 2 American things on it, but this completely useless list get s NOT ONE negative commit by an American"
You're an American, being negative, so theres one.
"And being the great American I am here you go " rugby for girls" huh?"
No, it should be called 'America's version of Rugby for pansies who can't take a hit'
"i've seen better acting in ***** movies"
Im assuming by your retarded nature that takes up a lot of your time. Quick jacking off and go play in the sunshine, but dont forget your helmet.
"A HIT?" TOO FUNNY , nothing says tough like " foooooooooootball players" a childs game you can't even use your hands in. Some Brazilian tulip farmer gets sneezed on and it's a yellow card for some chap, and Im glad you noticed my sarcasm it was pretty obvious when i said "here i go" But keep playing your 3rd world game against countries that can't even feed themselves but can pack a broken down stadium and kill each other , keep up the good work, thanks for Beckham too, what a sports superstar he is!- please send us more of your global icons
"A game you can't even use your hands in…." ever wondered why they called it FOOTball.
Should call it BORING
Best reply ever!!
"Best reply ever!!" hmmmm… don't get out much, do you?
Wow someone wants to be like me , useing my name and everything
That was funny as hell.. Brazilian tulip farmer??? I couldn't have said it better myself. 3rd world game? AWESOME!!! You know these soccer people like to talk about how sophisticated their sport is. In sports, sophisticated=boring. Nuance=boring. And if you want sophisticated, consider this. Soccer boils down to kick a ball in a net, but don't use your hands. Football uses a playbook the size of a phone book, a qb has to make reads in a fraction of a second against formations that would dizzy you just to have to look at them. Oh, and rugby for girls? There's a ton of money to be made in American football. I don't see any rugby players coming here to cash in. Why? They wouldn't have what it takes to make it. And when soccer players join the NFL? They play kicker, a position that is considered as much a punchline as an actual member of the team.
Actually plenty of rugby players do go to play American Football after their careers are over in their home countries – it is super easy money for them and much less stress on their already wrecked bodies. Heaps less chance of getting injured and only a few minutes of actual play at a time rather than running around smashing into each other for a full 80 mins.
I politely ask you to name three please – otherwise your post is pure fantasy fabrication.
Oh and i think you meant "quit" and "quick" but who knows how you guys do things
I should really look at my own post before pointing out spelling mistakes in other peoples posts. Repeat 100 times: I AM AN IDIOT, I AM AN IDIOT, I AM AN IDIOT…………….
Will you all stop acting like such hige whinners? Its a good list (great sports list) and stop asking why doesnt your pathetical small team appear on this list. Or those asking for more inner city derbies. I dont freakin care that your bff is all for man city and you’d die for united. I dont care. Nobody cares.
And all those wanting the celtic-rangers to be first. Are you on crack? These teams are full of has-beens or small time players. Look at it in perspective.
Ive never seen such poor quality commens on LV.
TL;DR
I sure was glad to see that at least one german derby was mentioned in this thread. However, there are also some other derbies that contains fierce rivalries between the teams, players and supporters. Crvena Zvezda and Partizan have quite violent clashes as the serbs often seem to be having. This thread has also overlooked some of the hot derbies such as Benfica-Porto and Benfica-Sporting Lisbon. Also no-one has mentioned any french derbies.
finally someone who knows something about football,
all the best to u
Very intriguing list… River-Boca in 4th place?!?! Really? To be honest, to me (IMHO) it must be number 2, and nuber one definitely Rosario Central-Newells. A whole city completely paralised for that match! Barca-Real Madrid it's important only for the money the move, but is one of the more recent derby of the listed here.
Football considerations aside, I believe each and every one of us futbol lovers think our teams deserve a spot on this list.
Saludos from Argentina!
Hi, this list is gonna run and run today, but while I have possession of the ball I’ll just say; great list! Of course, nobody could hope to agree on the content but I like the way you included teams from all over the world, and with a few helpful soundbytes of history too.
Lets play another game… My local team was formed in 1891. They faught their way to the top – only to roll all the way back down to the bottom again. They are currently in league division 2 (the middle league in British foodball), and their namesake town of origin is within five miles of the geographical centre of Great Britain (excluding islands). They have been recognised by the nickname ‘The ‘Owd Reds’, and are most famous for the word: ‘Exactly!’. Who is it?
Accrington Stanley?
accrington stanley, who are they??
exactly!
@ Supernellie and Danny: Correct! Well done. You win a sweety.
isnt accrington stanley playing division 4
@ Amrit: Technically yes, Stanley play in the fourth highest league in British football – the same league as Wycombe Wanderers. Critically, no: the league in which Stanley currently reside is known officially as 'League Two'.
Roque Santa Cruz.
@lifeschool: ""Hi, this list is gonna run and run today""
—would you prefer to be called nostra-lifeschool, or lifeschool-damus?
@ Oliver: Neither – I knew footy fans would hog the list today and bump it up a few hundred places, but the line was more a 'running with the ball' reference and was another of my silly puns. Really, I don't mind what I'm called on here. Lifeschool is a pretentious name, but I've been using it now for most of my life. I chose it because it reminded me that we're all learning in life, each and every day. I also like the way it sounds like 'Life's Cool' when said aloud.
agree with you about your name — life's cool is exactly what i can hear myself thinking.
the nostradmus was just a sillly reference to a show that was onat the time. in the first season of the dave chapelle show, paul mooney was a guest in a skit where he predicted things, called negrodamus. with you calling the thing about the list running (which was clever), you made a prediction that held true. but i'm not going to call you negrodamus — some how i dont think that quite fits.
so i attached your name to the prefix and suffix/.
bottom line is was too tired to be rolling out retarded jokes ::)
You should have included the rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland.
Only if you'd appreciate more ridicule!
Great List…Maybe the list should have been called "top 10 football rivalries of all time"
Although I don't follow football like a rabid fan, I did expect to see Real and Barca to be on the list. Glad it was first. Liked this list as you can almost feel the tension mounting. Good job.
This is the exact reason why you're not football fan, then, isnt it?
Sorry…your sentence makes zero sense. What reason? Please explain.
My bad, read what you originlly put wrong.
LOL can all you a-holes please stop whining about American football? This list has absolutely nothing to do with it. You people are so pathetic, always need to argue about something irrelevant.
Anyhoo – NO EVERTON V. LIVERPOOL???? Blasphemy!
Come on blues!!
COYB!
Ah! Another Evertonian?? Ace!
I have you know that the Boston Celtics are the best American football team ever!
yeah — they could play the new york rangers or the texas rangers, if it was a rugby match, i do believe i'd try to go
Ahh the old soccer (football) vs. football debate…Let me hit you with some truth…Do you know why soccer(football) if the most popular sport in the world? Because any poor, desolate country can play it. Come on, two dud landmines and a flat ball, and hey; we have a soccer match…Rice is the most popular food in the world. Does that make it better than a T-Bone steak? No, along the same lines of soccer, anyone can grow rice. Line up a 6'3" 250lbs linebacker that runs about a 4.7 40 (40 yards) against I don't know, whoever the biggest brute on the soccer field is. A defenseman tipping the scales at 175 and see how that plays out on an athletic field. Don't get me wrong, soccer is a tough sport, it is alot of running and frolicking around. I hear you run something like 5 miles in a game. Why is it everytime the world cup comes around and the soccer bandwagon cranks back up, when I see a match there sure is alot of standing around unless to ball bouncs someones way. Does the keeper run 5 miles, of course not, defensemen, 5 miles? what about mid fielders?
Jake you're so right – all i see his standing around untill the ball comes to you and then you kick it down field to the guy who tries to go 1 on 5 in front of the goal- how people can watch soccer but not hockey is beyond me- hockey is soccer with action and toughness
Great *****ogy Jake. Soccer is indeed the rice of the sports world. Starving people will eat any flavorless crap that will fill their stomach.
Who the ***** would read this? Seriously? You think your opinion counts? REALLY?
And obviously your opinion counts leaps and bounds more than mine….Sweet idea, talk ***** about people posting, then post something….awesome
Looks like the only ones that actually run are the Refs. Running the check an injury that by the way the player is flopping around you'd think his femur is sticking through his thigh. Everyone know whats coming after he rolls around for an obnoxious amount of time…Surprise, he's fine. Turns out in slow motion, some ones elbow grazing your knee is not life threatening.
You're on a roll Jake – one of these jack-ass's tried to tell me basically that soccer players are tough- yeah tough like pretty boy Beckham? – what a bunch of crap
Y'know, seeing as your idea of toughness is getting into fights with anonymous strangers you know you'll never have to face, I'd stop questioning any athlete's toughness. No matter the sport.
Fights -look back and see who I offended first- go head find it-once again facts not present-amazing people throw stones and are *****y when they are thrown back
If I'm getting paid a fraction of what Beckham is getting paid, line him up. I'll have a go at him. I'll kick his ass.
HAHAHA!!! David Beckham. I would love to see David Beckham prance up the middle on the Raven defense with Ray Lewis staring him down.
OT please.
just curious, do you just write lttle abbreviations like a 15 year old girl all the time, or just when you on this site? lol, omg, lmao, fag
Rugby is a hardcore sport. You'd better be a hardass to play rugby. Anyone can give a solid hit, not just anyone can take a solid hit. Football shots are undoubtedly harder hits than rugby though. Its my understanding as your getting hit in rugby, you can pass the ball. Not in Football. You have the ball and they're coming for you. I think rugby players are in better shape, as football players come out of the game for a break after 2 or 3 plays. I know this debate has no end, soccer vs. football vs. rugby. But we can all agree that soccer is for communists, football and rugby are for freedom loving athletes
Agreed, 3rd world , cat eating, diseased infested countries
Just one small point and sorry to be picky but american football hits are not harder than rugby hits (or league for that matter). I don't know where people get that idea from and it's not the case at all.
Of course they are. If a player is wearing shoulder pads and a helmet he is going to hit you much harder. I'm not saying rugby is any less tough though.
I know you are not trying to pick a fight and likewise I'm not trying to be a troll. But anyway, I don't think that is the case.
The "hardness" of a hit is determined by the speed and angle that it is delivered. If anything pads will absorb the shock and lessen the impact.
Cheers! : )
I think rugby players are in better shape, as football players come out of the game for a break after 2 or 3 plays.
That’s not entirely true about football players, and it’s also not an accurate means to determine what kind of shape those athletes are as compared to athletes who specialize in different sports. For example, is a sprinter in worse shape than a distance runner because they only “work” for 10 seconds at a time? No. They are all in tip-top shape, but their respective sports require different skill sets that place different physical demands on their bodies.
That is a very good point and *****ogy Maggot. Nice.
I am a Communist and love football, You got me there, JAKE! :@
Ajax vs. Feyenoord!!
people died over this derby
Proof or didn't happen.
In finals betweeen Ajax and Feyenoord there aren't even any people allowed in the stadion
look it up dumbass; Carlo Picorni
famous/notorious death in rivalry between these teams
Sorry but it should be started with Soccer, or Football to the rest of the world.
Sorry your opinion is void because of your ignorance.
gay.
there are a lot of subjective ideas on these lists. the amount of people who watch soccer/futball, vs. american football is not one of these ideas. not even kinda.
typically, i would find numbers to support my claim, but this is so stupid that i'm not even going to waste my time.
Um, great list but can I mention Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby? Its rather big here in South Africa.
absolute joke. writer has no clue at all. pompey v saints? chelsea v millwall? arsenal v tottenham? liverpool v everton? man utd v man city? etc. these are a few examples and yes they are all english clubs but they all deserve to be in the list over liverpool/man u. one eglish fixture in list and its liverpool v man u. lol.
If you honestly think that Pompey v Saints is a bigger rivalry than the two biggest clubs in English history, then it's you who hasn't got a clue, my friend.
uhaventgotaclue whats a millwall and none of those english rivalries are even close to barcelona vs real madrid and lazio vs roma so stop with your english teams and be happy with the list. Other than him great list the only thing is real madrid vs athletico madrid should have made it instead of man u vs liverpool but its still good