What would soccer be without its intense and prestigious derbies? All over the world, there are rivalries that can provide both maximum euphoria and maximum disappointment. The classics do not always proceed peacefully, and often the supporters of the teams involved go way over the top. A derby is a permanent spitfire between boundless passion and dangerous aggression. We take a look at the 7 most blatant rivalries and derbies in the world.

7. Liverpool FC vs. Everton FC

The Merseyside Derby is named because both clubs belong to the county of Merseyside. The encounter is also often referred to as a “friendly derby” because neither Liverpool FC nor Everton FC attracts a specific catchment area or political and religious groups. Accordingly, in some families you can find both Liverpool and Everton fans. The duel between the “Toffees” and the “Reds” is a nice contrast to the otherwise usually exaggerated rivalries.

When an 11-year-old Everton FC fan was killed by youths in Liverpool in 2007, the Reds invited his family to Anfield Road, thus taking another step towards friendship. In honor of the deceased child, players and fans sang the legendary anthem “You’ll never walk alone” together.

6. Olympiacos F.C. vs. Panathinaikos F.C.

Olympiacos and Panathinaikos Athens have always been separated by an absolute enmity. In the battle for the Greek throne, there have always been explosive and heated duels. Most of the time, things have been fairly peaceful, but there have been exceptions.

In 2012, for example, a match had to be abandoned prematurely. Piraeus travelled to Athens with a four-point lead, which meant the home side had to win to stay within striking distance of the title. Accordingly, the atmosphere was already charged in the run-up and marked by police action. The second half already had to be kicked off 60 minutes later due to hooligan clashes, before the situation escalated completely after Piraeus scored 1-0.

5. Esteghlal vs. Persepolis

The rivalry between the two rivals of the Iranian capital Tehran is considered the weightiest derby in Asia. Esteghlal is considered to represent the upper and middle classes, whereas Persepolis represents the common people. Some of the games have been played in front of 100,000 spectators, and there are always fatalities. 

In 1995, it was even decided that the referee should no longer come from Iran, but should be flown in from another country in order to calm the players, media and fans. Things got violent on the pitch, especially in 2000, when there were several punches to the face and three players had to spend several nights in jail. During the match, 250 buses and numerous stores were destroyed.

4. Hamburger SV vs. SV Werder Bremen

Until 1982, the relationship between Bremen supporters and HSV fans was still considered quite normal. However, this changed abruptly when a Bremen fan was hit in the head with a stone by an HSV Ultra in the run-up to a cup match and succumbed to his injuries. Since then, the northern clubs have been considered enemies.  

Last but not least, Tim Wiese’s kung-fu kick against Ivica Olić was also partly responsible for the rivals hating each other even more. The rivalry reached its peak in 2009, when the two clubs met four times in 18 days. Bremen won in the league, in the cup semifinals, and also prevailed in the UEFA Cup semifinals thanks to the legendary paper ball.

3. Juventus vs. Torino

The “Derby della Mole” between Juventus Turin and Torino can be compared to the Munich city derby FC Bayern – 1860 Munich. While Juventus is very popular throughout Italy, the majority of Turin’s city dwellers are on the side of FC Turin. Historically, FC was the club of the old-established working class, whereas Juve attracted many workers from the automotive industry who had come to the city from the south. In the 1940s, FC Turin was still the more successful club and ruined some of its rival’s title chances.

The derby still causes a lot of controversy today, which is partly due to the different political orientations of the ultra groups. The majority of Juve ultras are right-wing, while the majority of the “Granators” are left-wing. Riots are not uncommon.

2. Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid

The history of the “Derbi Madrileño” is very political. During the early days of the “Franco dictatorship,” Atlético was associated with the military air force before the dictator began trying to profit from Real Madrid in the 1950s. 

In the early 1970s, Real supporters referred to the rival and its players as “Indios.” The “Blancos,” on the other hand, long refused to sign non-Caucasian players. “As long as I live, no black or white man with a mustache will play here,” commented legendary president Santiago Bernabeu, who among other things refused to sign Portuguese star Eusebio. Since the 2000s, the rivalry has been primarily sporting, culminating in the 2016 Champions League final.

1. Rangers vs. Celtics

The legendary Scottish derby, also known as the Old Firm, is the oldest and most frequently played derby in Europe. The two rivals have met a full 424 times, with Rangers winning 165 times and Celtic 158. The two clubs are by far the most successful clubs in Scotland, clearly outshining the rest of the league in all areas.

Two dramatic events occurred in the derbies, but they had nothing to do with the rivalry itself. In 1931, Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson died after colliding with a Rangers attacker. Forty years later, the “Ibrox Disaster” occurred when a barrier broke and 66 people died in a stampede. The term “Old Firm” is doubted nowadays, especially by some Celtic supporters, because in their opinion Rangers was newly formed after the forced relegation in 2012 and has nothing to do with the old club.

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