The greatest football derbies of all time

Through the years, derbies are the most-watched matches. For some supporters, winning a derby by their favorite team is more satisfying than winning a league. Derbies will take place when two club rivals meet each other. There are different reasons that make two club rivals. 

Some rivalries might be created among the clubs in the same region, city, or country to see who is the best club in that area. Some others can be traced back to more than a century and there may be other reasons such as religious beliefs, etc. Here we want to take a look at the

greatest football derbies of all time

.

You might ask yourself what should a derby have to be on this list. Well, it depends on many things but for example, we can consider it's importance for football fans or the controversy and potential between clubs.

What are the greatest football derbies of all time? 

Here are the Biggest football derbies ever. There is no particular order to this list. Enjoy!

De Klassieker(Ajax v. Feyenoord)

The rivalry between these two Dutch clubs is the main rivalry of the Netherland and of course, one of the

world’s biggest football derbies ever

. What makes this derby so important is the value of it for the clubs' cities, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The two cities have always been on fight till now due to their different beliefs and cultures. Amsterdam has more liberal beliefs while Rotterdammers more lean on right-wing beliefs.

This variety of ideas created disputes and that biases generated violence that even got its way to sports. Since the beginning, there have been many brawls between the fans of both clubs which took away lives and injured many others. The most notorious incident was in 1997 when an Ajax fan named Carlo Picornie was beaten to death by rival supporters.

There have been 195 between the two Dutch clubs which most of them were won by

(near 88 wins). The last match between them was on 27 October 2019 which Ajax won 4-0.

Cairo derby( Al Ahly vs. Zamalek)

The clash of The two Egyptian clubs is considered to be one of the Biggest football derbies ever. Ahly and Zamalek both are located in Greater Cairo and they were named by the CAF as the 1st and 2nd African Clubs of the 20th Century respectively. Their first league meeting was in the 1948–1949 season of the Egyptian Premier League which the first leg was ended ins a draw and the second leg was won by Ahly on their home pitch.

Although this clash is among the

best football derbies of all time

, it's one of the most violent ones as well. World Soccer Magazine selected the Cairo Derby as the 10th most fierce derby in the world. During history, numerous fights, riots, and brawls occurred by the fans of both clubs. These derby events are dangerous before, throughout, and after the match. One of the notorious conflicts was in 1966 when rioting fans set fire to a factory near the other team’s stadium.Most of the time, to control the riots and biased fans, these derby events will take place in a neutral venue and foreign referees officiate the game.

Tehran Derby(Esteghlal vs. Persepolis)

No match in Iran is more entertaining in comparison with the time when these two clubs compete with each other in Tehran's derby. This match was listed as the most important derby in Asia by World Soccer magazine. It also ranked 22nd among the most important derbies in the world.One reason that makes this rivalry one of the

Biggest football derbies ever

is that most of the time it takes place in one of the world’s biggest stadiums, the Azadi Stadium placed in Tehran, Iran. In every match, both club supporters almost fill the Azadi Stadium which means more than 80,000 attendants take part in this derby.

The first match between the teams took place on April 5, 1968, at Amjadieh Stadium(Shiroudi) which ended up in a draw. Since then there have been 86 matches took place between these two Iranian clubs which nearly 23 of them were won by Esteghlal,24 by

, and other matches ended up in a draw. But if we count Friendlies and Exhibitions, Esteghlal won more matches.

It's worth mentioning that the record holder of the most goals scored is Safar Iranpak, who played for Persepolis, with 7 goals.

Derby della Capitale(Lazio vs. Roma)

Italians call this match "Derby Della Capitale" because these two Italian clubs are based in Italy's capital, Rome. It is viewed to be one of the fiercest intra-city derbies in the country as well as one of the

biggest derbies in football history

. Almost always the match takes place in Stadio Olimpico, where both teams call it their home pitch. The first derby was played on 8 December 1929 and ended 1–0 for

with a goal by Rodolfo Volk.

The cultural, economical, social, and political differences gave this derby more heat, which ended up in violence many times even in the early history of these matches. In 1979, a Lazio fan was hit in the eye and killed by a flare fired by a Roma fan which was the first but not lasts violent braw by the fans.

The most infamous incident, which led to a riot, was in 2004 when the match was suspended when Roma Ultras said a child had been killed by the police before the game, which wasn't true and anger the audience.During 159 official matches, Roma has won 58 and

has won 42 matches.

You Might Also Like:

Revierderby(Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke 04)

The rivalry between Dortmund and Schalke goes back to May 1925 when The Royal Blues achieved a 4–2 victory against BVB. These clubs, which both are located in the Ruhr region, compete in a derby named Revierderby. But it must be stated that the Revierderby is the name given to any match between two clubs in the Ruhr but Shalke and Dortmund are the strongest in that area thus, it almost always refers to the derby between the two main clubs.The derby most of the time takes place in Veltins-Arena (Schalke) or Signal Iduna Park(Dortmund). But some matches have taken apart in stadiums like Parkstadion, Glückauf-Kampfbahn, Rote Erde, etc.

Till now, these two German clubs have faced each other for a total of 156 times(180 if we count Friendlies) which Schalke won 60, BVB 53, and 43 matches ended in a draw. So, Schalke has the lead in one of the biggest football rivalries in the world. The latest game between the clubs was on 16 May 2020 which BVB won 4-0. Revierderby is definitely one of the Biggest football derbies ever.

Dragões vs Leões(Porto vs. Sporting CP)

One of the most important football matches in Portugal is the match often called "Dragões vs. Leões."This match represents North vs. South Portugal so maybe the reason that this rivalry is among the all-time biggest football derbies in the world is its domestic importance. The matches either take place in Estádio José Alvalade home of Sporting or Estádio do Dragão which is the home pitch of Porto. Till now,18 matches have taken place in Porto's stadium and 17 in Sporting's home.

There have been 6 finals between the two teams. It's worth mentioning that the first Campeonato de Portugal, Nowadays known as Taça de Portugal, was decided in a best-of-three series between Porto and Sporting and eventually won by Porto.

The first League match of the two clubs was in 1934 which Porto won 4-2. Since then, there have been 236 matches in which the two rivals face each other.

has won 89 times and Sporting won 82. The last meeting of the clubs was in Primeira Liga on 15 July 2020. Porto won 2-0 that day.

Derby di Milano(A.C. Milan vs. Inter Milan)

The Milan derby represents

one of the biggest football derbies eve

r. The two Italian clubs have been rivals since their foundation due to their short distance from each other. For every match, the players, personnel, and fans gather in San Siro stadium to see who will win the derby and represent the city. The first derby match was in the Italian Football Championship on 10 January 1909 which Rosoonery won 3-2.

There are some exchanging of insulting chants and derogatory banners but the fans get into fights very rarely. Although we can mention the 2005 derby when the match stopped after a flare thrown from the Inter crowd hit Milan’s keeper in the shoulder. Generally, the clubs face each other 211 times which 76 of them were won by Internazionale, and 73 of them were won by

.

It's also interesting to know that the derby is often called Derby Della Madonnina by Italians. The name comes from a local golden Madonna statue on the highest spire atop the Milan Duomo.

Der Klassiker(Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund)

When these two dominating forces face each other in Der Klassiker or commonly known as "German Clasico" there is no match in German football that can top this derby thus you can name this match among the best football derbies of all time. Most of the time the events took place in either Allianz Arena, Munich, or Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund. The game often sees record attendance but of course not during COVID 19.

In the early days, Dortmund was stronger and on 16 October 1965, when was the two clubs first match, BVB won 2–0. Even On 5 May 1966, Dortmund won the 1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup against Liverpool and became the first German club to achieve that trophy. But then, Bayern's dominance began. Bayern won the European Cup Winners' Cup and gained some victories against their rivals but the real deal was in 1971 when Bayern defeated Dortmund 11–1. That's s Bayern's biggest Bundesliga victory!

These days both Bayern and Dortmund are still great teams and the players of the teams play with an effort to win their rival and this is one of the reasons that make this game one of the Biggest football derbies ever.There have been 127 games between these two german clubs which Bayern has won the most matches(61 official matches).

You Might Also Like:

North West Derby(Liverpool vs. Manchester United)

The Northwest Derby is one of the most important matches of the English Premier League and English football in general. These two clubs are the most successful EPL clubs and one of the reasons that place this match among the world’s biggest football derbies ever is that we can watch the English titans clash. In total, The Reds and Devils have won 39 league titles, 19 FA Cups, 13 League Cups, 36 FA Community Shields, nine European Cups, four UEFA Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, five UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, and two FIFA Club World Cups.

Their first meeting was on 28 April 1894 and Manchester was called Newton Heath back then. Liverpool beat Newton Heath 2-0. Since then, The two English clubs have faced each other a total of 204 times. Man United was the winner for 80 events,67 times The Reds achieved victory, and 57 matches were ended in a draw.

Ryan Giggs is the player who has the record of Most appearances in the Northwest Derby, Steven Gerrard, George Wall, Sandy Turnbull are the top scorers with 9 goals each, and this derby, in general, is one of the Biggest football derbies ever. The clubs latest meeting was on 19 January 2020 which Liverpool won 2-0.

El Clásico(Barcelona vs. Real Madrid)

This may seem to be a little cliche but you can't deny the fact that El Clásico is one of the

all-time biggest football derbies in the world

. For every match millions and millions of fans and supporters around the world, even the ones that don't tend to watch football regularly, watch the game to see who will win the following El Clásico.

The rivalry of cities also adds heat to this event. Madrid is traditionally related to the Spanish royal family thus, is more representative of the nation. On the other hand, Barcelona is located in Catalonia, which has its own language and a distinct regional identity.

and

first met on 13 May 1902 and Barca achieved a 3-1 victory. Since then there have been 244 official matches between the clubs. One other reason that made El Clásico so special was the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo which unfortunately we can't see that anymore but it gave us good memories.The latest match was on 1 March 2020 in the Spanish La Liga which Madrid scored 2 goals and defeated Barca.  

Old Firm derby(Celtic vs. Rangers)

Scotland's most entertaining match and of course, one of the Biggest football derbies ever. This event is commonly known as the Old Firm derby. The real reason why they call it "old firm" is somehow unclear but some people say it may be influenced by the two clubs' initial match in which the commentators referred to the teams as "like two old, firm friends."There are other rumors as well.

Most part of this rivalry relates to political and religious beliefs. Rangers are considered a Protestant and Unionist club while Celtic is the Catholic and Republican.This cultural disagreement led to brawls, fights, and violence on and of the pitch. The violence has even resulted in several deaths over the years and some fans have been involved in vandalism and pitch invasions.

There have been 420 matches between clubs which

have won most of them with 162 victories. The latest match between the club was a 1–2 win for Rangers on 29 December 2019.

Superclásico(Boca Juniors vs. River Plate)

The derby between the two Buenos Aires opponents is among the biggest derbies in football history as well as the fiercest ones. Many magazines rank this rivalry as the top football rivalry in the world of football. The derby is called "Superclásico."

Like some other rivals in this list, the club supporters have different social classes. Most Boca fans are from the working class and Boca is known as people clubs while River fans are wealthier and in a higher class and they're called Los Millonarios (The Millionaires). generally, that makes their fanbase But of course, both clubs have a supporter from different classes. Nevertheless, the matches are very violent. Fans curse at the other team supporters, boo them, behave rudely, and taunt the loser. Most of these derbies end up in a riot.

The most extreme incident was On June 23, 1968, in El Monumental, after a draw between the two teams, 71 fans were killed and 150 were left injured in a crush at gate 12. That was a disaster in Argentinian history. The two old rivals have met 248 times and most of them are won by

. 

So that was all for the list of

Biggest football derbies ever

. Hope you liked it.

Read more:

Follow 

for the