Crosstown Beef: The 10 Best Intra-City Rivalries in European Soccer

Image via Complex Original

November is the month for intra-city soccer rivalries, a.k.a. derbies, in Europe. Last weekend saw Real down their fellow Madrilenos, Atletico, while Roma beat top-of-the-table Lazio in Italy. Later today, the two Manchester clubs will face off at City's Eastlands stadium. With the blue half of the city outspending the red half by millions these last few years, the rivalry has intensified. That's, of course, not to mention Carlos Tevez switching sides and City's recent forlorn (and futile) pursuit of Wayne Rooney.

More titanic clashes loom: This weekend sees a mammoth San Siro encounter with the two Milanese giants locking horns, while North London rivals Arsenal and Spurs play on November 20. More than in any other sport, intra-city rivalries are an integral part of soccer—but which of these derbies is the best? (And, before you protest: We mean intra-city only, thus precluding Madrid v. Barcelona, Liverpool v. United, etc.) Read on for our ranking of the most hotly contested derbies in Europe...

NICKNAME: The North London Derby

HISTORICAL RECORD: 168 matches: Arsenal - 71W, Spurs - 51W, 46 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: The rivalry began in 1913, when Woolwich Arsenal relocated to Highbury—just four miles from White Hart Lane—and grew further in 1919 when, owing to their influence at the FA, the Gunners gained a place in the top division at Tottenham’s expense. With an improved Spurs threatening for a top-four spot, we look set for an on-pitch feast over the next few years.

MEMORABLE MATCH: April 14, 1991, FA Cup semi-final, Spurs 3 -1 Arsenal. Gazza's remarkable free kick stands out here; Tottenham went on to win the cup final, but Arsenal took the league.

NEXT MATCH: November 20, 2010

NICKNAME: The Derby S

HISTORICAL RECORD: 273 matches

COMPLEX SAYS: The oldest derby in continental Europe began in 1896, but has taken on a few guises since then. The Communist government was wary of Slavia, with its fanbase of intellectuals, and forced them through a few name changes (Sokol Praha 7 and Dynamo among them); meanwhile, Sparta were feted and only grew in power. Since the collapse of the Commies, the rivalry has regained its competitive edge.

MEMORABLE MATCH: March 29, 1896, Slavia 0-0 Sparta. The first-ever Derby S was watched by an estimated 121 people. Sorry, no YouTube footage.

NEXT MATCH: April 16, 2011

NICKNAME: The Derby della Madonnina

HISTORICAL RECORD: 201 matches: AC Milan - 69W, Inter - 71W, 61 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: The derby, named after a statue which sits atop a Milanese cathedral, sprang to life in 1908 when AC board members became annoyed by British influence and formed a splinter club: Inter. With the heavyweights trading blows in the upper echelons of Serie A, there’s always been more than local pride up for grabs when they meet at their shared stadium, the San Siro. True Italian flavor.

MEMORABLE MATCH: April 12, 2005, Champions League quarter-final second leg. When an Esteban Cambiasso goal was ruled out for Inter, fans hurled objects onto the pitch, and a flare struck AC keeper Dida. Match abandoned, and Milan advanced.

NEXT MATCH: November 14, 2010

NICKNAME: The Marele ("Great") Derby

HISTORICAL RECORD: 146 matches: Steaua - 48W, Dinamo - 53W, 45 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: Here's another rivalry with roots in the Communist regime. Steaua became the team of the Ministry of Defence, and Dinamo of the Ministry of the Interior. Heavily financed by their respective government arms, they attracted the best players in the country as the rivalry heightened. Dinamo believed the Ceausescu family favoured Steaua, while Steaua accused Dinamo of using the secret police to influence results. Political.

MEMORABLE MATCH: June 26, 1988, result unknown. Dinamo scored a late winner in this cup final, but Valentin Ceausescu (son of ruler Niculae) ordered his team, Steaua, off the pitch. Dinamo collected the trophy, but the Romanian FA has Steaua listed as the winners.

NEXT MATCH: April 15, 2011

NICKNAME: The Sevilla Derby

HISTORICAL RECORD: 114 matches: Betis - 36W, Sevilla - 51W, 27 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: Spanish soccer's most violent and ferocious derby. The two sides have been locking horns since 1915, a game Sevilla won 4-3. Violence at a clash in 1917, against the backdrop of land-reform disputes, set the tone that has continued for the past 90 years: security guards attacked by a fan with crutches, Betis keeper Toni Pratts being assaulted, and scuffles between coaching staffs have all featured in the recent past.

MEMORABLE MATCH: February 28, 2007, Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg. Sevilla manager Juande Ramos was knocked out cold by a bottle thrown from the crowd, forcing the end of this match. Betis was punished by having to play their next three home matches at another ground.

NEXT MATCH: Currently in different divisions. It only whets the appetite.

NICKNAME: The Derby Capitale

HISTORICAL RECORD: 165 matches: Roma - 59W, Lazio - 47W, 59 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: To generalize a little, this derby pits the working-class left-wing Roma fans against the wealthier, right-leaning Lazio followers. The arch-rivals share one ground—the Stadio Olympico—where they occupy opposite ends: Lazio, the Curva Nord (North End), and Roma, the Curva Sud. Violence is a problem, and has coincided with the rise of the "ultras." A Lazio fan was killed in 1979.

MEMORABLE MATCH: November 29, 1998, Lazio 3-3 Roma. The highest-scoring draw in the history of the fixture (two others have finished 3-3) saw Roma finally end Lazio’s five-match derby winning streak. The Biancocelesti looked all set for a sixth success and were 3-1 up with just 12 minutes to go, but Di Francesco and Totti (of course) hit back.

NEXT MATCH: March 13, 2011

NICKNAME: The Derby of Eternal Enemies

HISTORICAL RECORD: 141 matches: Panathinaikos - 35W, Olympiakos - 55W, 51 draws (since new league formed 1959)

COMPLEX SAYS: This rivalry pits the metropolis of Athens (Panathinaikos) against the ancient city's port (Olympiakos). Their rivalry goes beyond soccer, extending to basketball, volleyball, and water polo. In 2007, after the death of a supporter during a pre-volleyball match brawl, all sport in the country was suspended for two weeks.

MEMORABLE MATCH: May 8, 1988, Greek Cup final, 2-2 aet (Pana 4-3 on penalties).

NEXT MATCH: December 10, 2010

NICKNAME: The Eternal Derby

HISTORICAL RECORD: 169 matches: Partizan - 49W, Red Star - 73W, 47 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: Both clubs formed in 1945, with Partizan considered the team of the army and Red Star linked to the Ministry of Interior. Since the breakup of Yugoslavia, violence has been a consistent theme, as Partizan fans (Grobari, meaning "Gravediggers") clash with their Red Star counterparts (Delije, which is more complicated to explain). The most notorious incident occurred in 1999, when a 17-year-old Red Star fan was killed by a flare fired from the Grobari area of the stand. Probably best to stay indoors.

MEMORABLE MATCH: November 4, 1951, Red Star 2-0 Partizan. Although the derby intensified with Yugoslavian tension in the ’90s, this title-deciding tilt may have the rivalry's biggest match.

NEXT MATCH: April 23, 2011

NICKNAME: The Istanbul Derby

HISTORICAL RECORD: 366 matches: Fener - 138W, Gala - 116W, 111 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: Gala, traditionally supported by educated middle classes, are located in the European side of the city; Fener, originally the working-class club, lie in the Eastern, Asian area of Istanbul. Buildup for this titanic clash begins hours before kick-off, and there’s usually more than bragging rights at stake: They’re the two most successful teams in Turkey, and have won 17 league titles each.

MEMORABLE MATCH: April 26, 1996, Turkish Cup final, Fener 1-1 Gala. After Galatasaray earned the draw that won them the cup, Graeme Souness—the ex-Liverpool player who was then Gala's manager—planted a huge team flag in the center of the Fener pitch. Bold, if not stupid.

NEXT MATCH: March 20, 2011

NICKNAME: The Old Firm Derby

HISTORICAL RECORD: 389 matches: Celtic - 140W, Rangers - 156W, 93 draws

COMPLEX SAYS: Known throughout the world for its tumultuous mix of politics and religion, the Old Firm derby is one of the most hotly contested matches in the soccer calendar. Although the makeup of Scottish soccer often results in the clubs playing each other more than four times a season, this only adds to the strength of the antagonism, rather than dilute it.

MEMORABLE MATCH: March 25, 1984, Scottish League Cup final, Rangers 3-2 Celtic (aet). It took extra time to separate the two giants in this epic final. Rangers were two up, but Celtic leveled, before Ally McCoist completed his hat trick from the penalty spot.

NEXT MATCH: January 2, 2011