As the El Classico rings loud today at the Nou Camp, NewsRealTime looks at some of the most passionate and hotly-contested derbies like the one between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Derbies that elicit a lot of furore though there is also one occurring in England today as Sunderland welcome Newcastle to the Stadium of Light in the TyneWear Derby
The Old Firm Derby – Celtic v Rangers
Though the fervor of this derby has been dampened by the demotion of Rangers, it is still one of the most passionate in world football and also one of the oldest. It is one of the fiercest and nastiest in the world. Contested between the Glasgow giants, the entire country takes a side, usually along religious lines.
They have played each other nearly 300 times. These two teams are in the same location but their fans have different religious beliefs. Celtic fans are Catholics and Rangers are Protestants. This difference increases the competition. While some of the heat has evaporated from this derby as the league’s overall quality has declined, this still remains a blood-and-thunder match of the first order.
The Eternal Enemies Derby – Olympiakos Piraeus v Panathinaikos
Not the most famous but as passionate as any other. This Greek derby between two of the most successful football clubs in Greece is a rivalry that is cast upon class differences. Olympiakos fans are more from the working class district and Panathinaikos fans are from the richer district. Olympiakos have won more, especially in the past.
The Milan Derby – AC Milan v Inter Milan
The derby known as the Derby Della Madonnina is the most important Italian derby. This derby is one of the most watched derbies in the world and both teams share the same stadium San Siro. The two sides do have ultras but they concentrate their hostility on Juventus. And even though they share a stadium, don’t be fooled: the crosstown classic at the San Siro has been hotly contested since 1908. The rivalry has almost always featured some of Italy’s top stars — both teams boast a who’s who of European greats — but today the game has an added political dimension: AC Milan is owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi while Inter is owned by the left-leaning Massimo Moratti.
The Eternal Derby – AS Roma v Lazio Roma
the Derby Della Capitale also known as the ‘Eternal Derby’. These two teams both located in capital of Italy, Rome. Also they share the same stadium Stadio Olimpico. The fans are divided socioeconomically. Roma’s fans are more working class while Lazio fans from the wealthier portion of the city. This derby saw the first death in Italian football when a Lazio fan was struck in the eye in 1979 by a Roma fired flare.
The North West derby – Liverpool v Manchester United
The fixture 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. Liverpool dominated from the 70’s through to the 80’s but Manchester United have dominated from the 90’s to the current time. When Sir Alex Ferguson took over the reins at Old Trafford, job number 1 was simple: Beat Liverpool. These teams hate each other to an extent that seems almost laughable from the outside. Each game can be counted on for fireworks, finger-pointing and days of recriminations. The North West derby has only increased in importance as both clubs have become global brands, and this is inarguably the biggest fixture on the English soccer calendar.
The Istanbul derby – Fenerbahce vs. Galatasary
This most fevered of derbies between two of the most successful football clubs in Turkey and tops them all for over-the top mayhem. They have played each other more than 365 times. Many matches are laced with intense clashes between the fans and neutral observers in Istanbul are told to stay at home on derby day.
There are even fights in the terraces during matches and according to current stats, Fenerbahce is more successful then Galatasaray especially in their stadium Sukru Saracoglu. The Kitalar Arasi Derbi (Intercontinental Derby) attracts large crowds of wild fans and a singular air of menace. Turkish football fans take passion to the extreme — their milder activities might include trying to stone the opposition’s bus — and this one is a game where folks stay off the streets. The fact that it is also a great match is sometimes lost on outsiders.
The Superclasico – Boca Juniors v River Plate
They call this clash the Superclasico between the two most successful teams in Argentina. . This rivalry is well known all across the world and arguably the biggest rivalry outside of Europe. With numbers, Boca Juniors have edged this fixture in history, winning 117 times compared to River Plate’s 99. The most famous incident at this derby was the Puerta 12 tragedy in 1968. 71 fans were killed and 150 fans injured in a huge crush at one of the gates. No one was ever found guilty in history.
It is overshadowed these days by the gangs that control Argentine soccer, the Boca-River clashes are epic riots of color, sound, and more often than not, off-field nastiness. That shouldn’t cause fans to overlook the quality on display: these clubs were home to Diego Maradona, Claudio Caniggia and Gabriel Batistuta, to name but a three. River Plate took an embarrassing tumble last year, but these two teams historically have been among the best on the planet.
Derbies that elicit a lot of furore though there is also one occurring in England today as Sunderland welcome Newcastle to the Stadium of Light in the TyneWear Derby
The Old Firm Derby – Celtic v Rangers
Though the fervor of this derby has been dampened by the demotion of Rangers, it is still one of the most passionate in world football and also one of the oldest. It is one of the fiercest and nastiest in the world. Contested between the Glasgow giants, the entire country takes a side, usually along religious lines.
They have played each other nearly 300 times. These two teams are in the same location but their fans have different religious beliefs. Celtic fans are Catholics and Rangers are Protestants. This difference increases the competition. While some of the heat has evaporated from this derby as the league’s overall quality has declined, this still remains a blood-and-thunder match of the first order.
The Eternal Enemies Derby – Olympiakos Piraeus v Panathinaikos
Not the most famous but as passionate as any other. This Greek derby between two of the most successful football clubs in Greece is a rivalry that is cast upon class differences. Olympiakos fans are more from the working class district and Panathinaikos fans are from the richer district. Olympiakos have won more, especially in the past.
The Milan Derby – AC Milan v Inter Milan
The derby known as the Derby Della Madonnina is the most important Italian derby. This derby is one of the most watched derbies in the world and both teams share the same stadium San Siro. The two sides do have ultras but they concentrate their hostility on Juventus. And even though they share a stadium, don’t be fooled: the crosstown classic at the San Siro has been hotly contested since 1908. The rivalry has almost always featured some of Italy’s top stars — both teams boast a who’s who of European greats — but today the game has an added political dimension: AC Milan is owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi while Inter is owned by the left-leaning Massimo Moratti.
The Eternal Derby – AS Roma v Lazio Roma
the Derby Della Capitale also known as the ‘Eternal Derby’. These two teams both located in capital of Italy, Rome. Also they share the same stadium Stadio Olimpico. The fans are divided socioeconomically. Roma’s fans are more working class while Lazio fans from the wealthier portion of the city. This derby saw the first death in Italian football when a Lazio fan was struck in the eye in 1979 by a Roma fired flare.
The North West derby – Liverpool v Manchester United
The fixture 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. Liverpool dominated from the 70’s through to the 80’s but Manchester United have dominated from the 90’s to the current time. When Sir Alex Ferguson took over the reins at Old Trafford, job number 1 was simple: Beat Liverpool. These teams hate each other to an extent that seems almost laughable from the outside. Each game can be counted on for fireworks, finger-pointing and days of recriminations. The North West derby has only increased in importance as both clubs have become global brands, and this is inarguably the biggest fixture on the English soccer calendar.
The Istanbul derby – Fenerbahce vs. Galatasary
This most fevered of derbies between two of the most successful football clubs in Turkey and tops them all for over-the top mayhem. They have played each other more than 365 times. Many matches are laced with intense clashes between the fans and neutral observers in Istanbul are told to stay at home on derby day.
There are even fights in the terraces during matches and according to current stats, Fenerbahce is more successful then Galatasaray especially in their stadium Sukru Saracoglu. The Kitalar Arasi Derbi (Intercontinental Derby) attracts large crowds of wild fans and a singular air of menace. Turkish football fans take passion to the extreme — their milder activities might include trying to stone the opposition’s bus — and this one is a game where folks stay off the streets. The fact that it is also a great match is sometimes lost on outsiders.
The Superclasico – Boca Juniors v River Plate
They call this clash the Superclasico between the two most successful teams in Argentina. . This rivalry is well known all across the world and arguably the biggest rivalry outside of Europe. With numbers, Boca Juniors have edged this fixture in history, winning 117 times compared to River Plate’s 99. The most famous incident at this derby was the Puerta 12 tragedy in 1968. 71 fans were killed and 150 fans injured in a huge crush at one of the gates. No one was ever found guilty in history.
It is overshadowed these days by the gangs that control Argentine soccer, the Boca-River clashes are epic riots of color, sound, and more often than not, off-field nastiness. That shouldn’t cause fans to overlook the quality on display: these clubs were home to Diego Maradona, Claudio Caniggia and Gabriel Batistuta, to name but a three. River Plate took an embarrassing tumble last year, but these two teams historically have been among the best on the planet.
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