Top 10 Rivalries in Club Football

Ranking rivalries is not like choosing your favorite club, with so many clubs around so many countries, it is not easy to classify. Footballing rivalries manifest themselves in many ways. Fierce conflicts between supporter groups, large media coverage, high television viewing figures and, in some cases, bitter controversy can be both causes and consequences of high-profile rivalries. With many rivalries around the planet, let's look at the top 10 intense rivalries in the football world.

10.  Ajax  vs  Feyenoord 

In Netherlands, Ajax and Feyenoord maintain a hostile rivalry that echoes sociopolitical divides. These two are Holland's most successful clubs, Ajax has a cultural and historical background and is from the capital city of Amsterdam, whereas Feyenoord is from a rugged industrial city and the birthplace of Anti-immigration party. As a result, violent fan clashes occur whenever these two famous Dutch clubs meet. Feyernoord is the former club of Robin Van Persie. 

9.  Nacional  vs  Penarol 

The Uruguayan clasico is the clash between the two best clubs of Uruguay - Nacional and Peranol. Eventhough they had shown lack of success in International level. These two clubs are praised for the development of South American football. Both these clubs together make up 8 Copa Libertadores and 6 Intercontinental Cups. The 1-1 match of 26 November, 2000, ended in a confrontation with several boxing and karate kicks, 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. 

8.  Olympiakos  vs  Panathinaikos 

This is a clash of the eternal enemies of football in Greece. The blood burns among the crowd in Athens. Olympiakos is a traditionally working class club with 12 of the last 13 domestic titles. During the matches political forces are present in the club’s respective corridors of power which simply adds more and more oil to the fire of rivalry making them one of the biggest rivalry in the world of football. 

7.  Fenerbahce  vs  Galatasaray 

Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are clubs that have the biggest rivalry in Turkish football. These two clubs are separated in terms of continental differences where one is from Europe and the other club is from Asia. The Istanbul derby rivalry is more than a century in existence, and has developed into an intense and often bitter one, traditionally attracting large attendances. 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 showing equal strength among these two clubs. 

6.  Liverpool  vs  Manchester United 

 A fight for the best of the British crown had caused a big rivalry among the English Giants Manchester United and Liverpool FC. This derby is sometimes called as the North-West derby where United’s dominance of the Premier League era has hauled the Merseysiders with United winning 19 domestic titles while Liverpool trump their rivals on the Continent with five European Cups to three. As well as competing on the football pitch, both teams are also two of the biggest-earning, and widely-supported, football clubs around the world. The rivalry has extended to the players as well. 

5.  Internazionale  vs  AC Milan 

The game between the two giants of Seria A,  A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano (Inter) is one of the most burning football rivalry of the modern era. The Milan Derby which is also known as “Derby della Madonnina” is one of the most followed derbies in the football world. The rivalry between these two giants started in 1908 when AC Milan was split to a new club named Inter Milan after a disagreement over the purchasing of foreign players. Both these clubs are equally in term of head-to-head fixtures, that’s why it is considered as the closest rivalry in terms of games won in World football. 

4.  Boca Juniors  vs  River Plate 

Superclasico is the name given to the derby of Argentina when the two clubs of  Buenos Aires - Boca Juniors and River Plate meet. Like many other fiercely contested same-city fixtures, social resentment is as much the catalyst as proximity. The name Superclasico 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. This local derby is referred as one of the fiercest and most important derbies. The 90 minutes of ear-bursting and nerve-jangling atmosphere makes it one of the best matches ever in the world. 

3.  Lazio  vs  Roma 

The Derby Della Capitale or the Derby of the Capital is the local derby between AS Roma and Lazio - the two major teams of capital city of Italy, Rome. It is considered to be the fiercest derby in the country ahead of the major local Milan Derby.  The derby has been historically marked by massive crowds, excitement, violence and – recently – racist banners in the crowd. It is perhaps surprising that such a devilish rivalry can exist in a city shared with God’s top man. Yet when Rome's best sides lock horns, all hell breaks loose.Politics and proximity have equal claim to be the source of the hate, but historically it is the decision of Lazio not to merge with three other clubs from the capital, and so creating AS Roma, that began the rift. 

2.  Rangers  vs  Celtics 

One of the most biggest and intense derbies in the world, the Old Firm derby between Scottish teams Celtic and Rangers, is more than a football match, it brings all differences from religion to politics.  Both clubs play in Glasgow, Scotland, and the match is one of the oldest derbies in the world that's how it got the name Old Firm derby. Both teams have won many titles, but currently Rangers are ahead of Celtic with 53 league titles to 42. Millions tune into the TV to watch the Glasgow derby. Rangers are considered a Protestant club with Unionist and loyalist supporters, while Celtic are considered a Catholic club with Republican and Nationalist supporters. These religional differences makes the derby more hotter. The Old Firm Derby has caused many deaths among the fans on and off the pitch. 

1. FC Barcelona  vs  Real Madrid 

The biggest rivalry ever in the history of football is between the most successful clubs in Spain - FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The El Clasico has never failed to show the class of the two Spanish giants. The rivalry impacts the league championship on an almost annual basis. Real has won more La Liga and Champions League titles than Barça, but Barça has won more Spanish Cups and UEFA Cups. Barcelona has the largest fan support around the world which includes about 44.2 million supporters throughout Europe, which is about 2.9 million more than the number of Real Madrid supporters. Crossing the divide is hardly recommended, as Luis Figo found out. After a world record move from the Nou Camp to the Bernabeu fans threw a pig's head at him.
As the intense tense gets heated every time when they meet whether in the league or in the cups, the rivalry gets higher and higher making it the best rivalry in the world.