Ten biggest club rivalries in European football.10) Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
With these two sides set to meet in La Liga tonight, the Madrid derby has certainly taken on more significance in recent years as Atletico Madrid have continued to grow as a force in Spanish and European football. Diego Simeone’s side are currently the champions of Spain after their amazing title win against all the odds last term, while the two teams also contested last season’s Champions League final, making it the first time in history that the final of the European Cup was contested between two teams from the same city. Although it is still not in the same bracket as the famous El Clasico rivalry between Real and Barcelona, this is fast becoming a huge rivalry up there with the very best in European football today.
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9) Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce
Turkish football fans are not known for the being the most well behaved bunch, and it is certainly a sight to behold when the two biggest teams in Turkey meet in the hugely fierce derby game between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. These two teams are usually among the main challengers for the title as well, adding further significance to this grudge match.
8) Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke
One of the biggest rivalries in Germany, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke definitely don’t like each other and it is always a fiesty game when the two meet in the Bundesliga. Known as the Revierderby, these two sides compete for local bragging rights in the Ruhr region of Germany, and their vocal supporters certainly make it a big occasion when they meet.
7) Juventus vs Inter Milan
Not a local derby, but a long-standing rivalry between two of the most successful teams in Italian football history. These two sides are usually among the main challengers for the Serie A title and have won more titles than anyone else in the Italian top flight. Italian football fans certainly take the game seriously, and there is no love lost between these two sets of supporters.
6) AC Milan vs Inter Milan
The now-famous picture above perfectly illustrates just how heated an affair it can become when the two Milan sides meet in their local derby in Serie A. AC Milan and Inter Milan are two giants of the game in Italy and Europe and the intensity of his fixture is only increased by the fact that the two teams share a stadium, the San Siro.
5) Ajax vs Feyenoord
Known as De Klassieker, Ajax against Feyenoord is one of the biggest rivalries in Dutch football between two of the Eredivisie’s most historically successful teams.
4) Liverpool vs Manchester United
Not a local rivalry, but still probably the biggest grudge match in English football between two of this country’s most historically successful teams. Manchester United recently overtook Liverpool in terms of total league titles won, very much knocking them off their perch, as Sir Alex Ferguson famously said. It’s almost always a classic when these two teams meet, and even more so now as the Merseyside giants continue to improve under Brendan Rodgers, while United will be hoping to bounce back under new manager Louis van Gaal after a disastrous season last term.
3) Real Madrid vs Barcelona
A long-standing rivalry and perhaps the biggest fixture on the whole footballing calendar, Real Madrid against Barcelona, or ‘El Clasico’, is watched by audiences worldwide every season. These two teams are usually the main challengers for the title in Spain, and tempers have been well known to boil over when they meet, with some outstanding football usually on offer as well from some of the most talented players in the world.
2) AS Roma vs Lazio
Always an intimidating occasion between two rivals who truly hate each other, Lazio and AS Roma contest the Rome derby every year at their shared ground, the Stadio Olimpico. Lazio fans in particular are known for their fierce ‘Ultras’ and this game is well known to cause riots and violence between supporters every time.
1) Celtic vs Rangers
Undoubtedly one of the biggest rivalries in world football, Celtic and Rangers’ deep hatred of one another goes far deeper than football, with religious, political and other sociological implications dividing the two teams and making for some intense and hotly contested games. The ‘Old Firm’ as its known, is also a crucial fixture in most years as the two teams are far and away the most successful in Scotland, despite recent financial problems leading to Rangers’ relegation.