6. Gremio vs Internacional
Porto Alegre (Argentina)
Gre-Nal
Gre-nal is the largest derby in the southern region of the country.
The match is played in Porto Alegre, home to both teams (Internacional and Grêmio), but the teams' support bases are evenly distributed all across the state of Rio Grande do Sul, home to 11 million people, as well as neighboring states. The match happens either at Olímpico Monumental Stadium (Grêmio) or Beira-Rio Stadium (Internacional).
Grêmio has more international titles and fans in the state, but Internacional has more fans in the city and was never relegated to second division, as well as having a few more regional titles. The rivalry extends back to 1909, in the same year Internacional was founded, when Grêmio beat Internacional by the score of 10-0. Some would argue it began earlier, before Internacional was founded, because its founders were actually rejected to join Grêmio, which at the time (first decade of the 20th century) only accepted members of German nationality or ancestry.
7. Corinthians vs Palmeiras
Sao Paulo (Brazil)
The Paulista Derby
The rivalry between the two clubs is considered one of the most intense in the world, and their matches are known as The Paulista Derby.
A big rivalry in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, SE Palmeiras and Corinthians have always drawn a lot of attention when they face off each other. There have been books written and movies shot about this rivalry, including a version of Romeo and Juliet where Palmeiras and Corinthians take the place of the Montagues and Capulets.
Palestra Itália (now known as Palmeiras) was founded in 1914 as an Italians only club. Some Corinthians' Italian members and the player Bianco, the only Italian in the Corinthians' squad, left to join the new club and were labeled as traitors. Because of that the teams became rivals, and remain the fiercest rivals in São Paulo to this day.
According to the last research (Datafolha 2007) Palmeiras is tied with São Paulo as the third most supported team in Brazil.
The club's official mascot is a green parakeet. However, during the mid-1940s, fans of Palmeiras' rival São Paulo, would refer to the team as "Pig," and soon after, other teams would follow.,Although the parakeet is the official mascot, fans will refer to and yell: "PORCO!" (Pig) enthusiastically during matches, as the pig became their better known mascot. Traditionally, Palmeiras is a club supported by the Italian descendants. Nowadays, however, the club is supported by every kind of people.Palmeiras biggest ultras are Mancha Alvi-Verde (in English: White and Green Stain), TUP (which is the oldest ultra), Acadêmicos da Savóia, Porks and others.
Corinthians was founded in 1910 by a group of labourers - mainly of Portuguese, Italian and Spanish descent - hoping to create a popular club in the city of São Paulo to play against the elite clubs that already existed. They are named after the English amateur team Corinthian F.C., now Corinthian-Casuals. Gavioes da Fiel and Camisa 12 are biggest ultras.
8. SS Lazio vs AS Roma
Rome (Italy)
The Derby della Capitale
Lazio is the sixth most supported football club in Italy with around 3.5% of Italian football fans supporting the club (according to the Doxa Institute-L'Espresso’s research of April 2006). Historically the largest section of Lazio supporters in the city of Rome has come from the northern section just above the Vatican City, creating an arch like shape across Rome with affluent areas such as; Parioli, Prati, Flaminio, Salario, Nomentano, Cassia and Monte Mario.
Founded in 1987 Irriducibili Lazio are currently the club's biggest ultras group. In terms of match day displays Lazio ultras opt for a traditionally English style and embrace elements of lad culture. Usually the only time they create traditional Italian ultras displays is for the Derby della Capitale.
The Derby della Capitale, known in English speaking countries as the Rome derby is a match between Lazio and their main rivals Roma; it is amongst the most heated and emotional footballing rivalries in the world. A Lazio fan, Vincenzo Paparelli was killed at one of the derby games during the 1979–80 season after being hit in the eye by a flare thrown by a Roma fan. Lazio also have a strong rivalry with Napoli. Conversely the ultras have friendly relationships with Inter, Triestina and Hellas Verona. They also have friendships with clubs elsewhere in Europe, including Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, Espanyol (the four blues: Lazio, Espanyol, 1860 Munich and Manchester City) and Chelsea.
Roma are the fifth most supported football club in Italy behind Juventus, Internazionale, Milan and Napoli with around 6% of Italian football fans supporting the club (according to the Doxa Institute-L'Expresso’s research of April 2006). Historically the largest section of Roma supporters in the city of Rome have come from the inner-city and south parts, which is the working-class area of the city, especially Testaccio.
The traditional ultras group of the club was the politically left-leaning Commando Ultrà Curva Sud commonly abbreviated as CUCS; this group was founded by the merger of many smallers groups and was considered one of the most historic in the history of European football. However, by the mid-1990s CUCS had been usurped by rival factions and ultimately broke up. Since that time, the Curva Sud of the Stadio Olimpico has been controlled by more right-wing groups; A.S. Roma Ultras, Boys, Giovinezza and others. The oldest group Fedayn is apolitical however and politics is not the raison d'être of Roma, just a part of their overall identity.
9. Racing Club vs Independiente
Avellaneda (Argentina)
Clásico de Avellaneda
The Avellaneda derby is the second most important rivalry in Argentine football. The two teams are located in the city of Avellaneda, in the south of the Greater Buenos Aires, but two teams has got fans in all the country. Independiente is the 3rd most popular team in Argentina and Racing the 5th and are the 3rd and 4th successful teams in terms of the total number of league championships (amateurs and professionals leagues) won.
This rivalry is the most intense of Argentina, because the stadiums of these teams are only a few hundred metres apart, and the team's fans usually take to distribute posters to tease the other after a defeat between them or even a loss.Club Atlético
Independiente is a popular Argentine sports club best known for its football team, established in 1905. Based in Avellaneda, Greater Buenos Aires area.
Known as "El Rojo" ("The Red"), "Los Diablos Rojos" ("The Red Devils"), "Rey de Copas" ("King of Cups") or "Orgullo Nacional" ("National Pride"), Independiente has won 14 Argentine championships, placing them third behind to River Plate and Boca Juniors, 7 Copa Libertadores titles, of which an unequalled series of 4 straight wins from 1972 to 1975, and a total of 15 international titles - including 3 Copa Interamericanas, and the 1973 and 1984 Intercontinental Cup.
Racing Club, also known simply as Racing, is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Gran Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing are historically one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football. Currently the club is competing in the Primera División Argentina.
10. Flamengo vs Fluminense
Rio de Janeiro ( Brazil )
The Fla-Flu Derby
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo is a Brazilian multisport club located in Rio de Janeiro.
Despite not being the club's official name, Flamengo has become the term used by most to refer not just to the football team, but also the entire sporting association. Other nicknames used by fans include "Fla", "Mengo", and "Mengão" (which means Big Mengo), as well descriptions of the club's official colors, rubro-negro, which translates to "the scarlet-blacks" or "the scarlet and black."
Flamengo's football/soccer team --the most popular club in Brazil with an estimated 35 million supporters -- placed 9th in FIFA Clubs of the 20th Century. Supporters: Raca Rubro Negra.
The Vulture is the mascot of the club.
Fluminense fans are called "tricolores", a reference to the team's three colours (claret, white and green).
One of the team's most famous chants is "A Bênção, João de Deus" ("Bless us, John of God"), a song that was composed in honour of the pope John Paul II on his first visit to Brazil in 1980. The tradition is that Fluminense fans spontaneously started singing the famous song when the team was to decide the 1980 state championship on a penalty shootout against their arch-rivals Vasco da Gama. Fluminense won the championship.
Fluminense's supporters are usually related to Rio de Janeiro's upper classes, in opposition to those who support Flamengo. However, the popularity of the club reaches beyond the city limits. There are an estimated 9 million Fluminense supporters all over Brazil and abroad. Only one-third of the fans actually live in Rio de Janeiro State. Supporters: Torcida Young Flu.
The Fla-Flu is one of the most important derbies in Brazilian football. The Fla-Flu (truncation of Flamengo-Fluminense) is a football (soccer) matchup between cross-town rivals Flamengo and Fluminense, two of Rio de Janeiro's most popular teams. Also called Clássico das Multidões (Crowds' Derby), matches are usually sold out and normally take place in the 70,000-seat Maracanã Stadium, located near downtown Rio, in Maracanã neighborhood. The world record football match attendance between clubs is a Fla 0-0 Flu with 194.603-seat (177,656 ps.) in 1963.
The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left the club, and went to Flamengo, which at the time had no football section. The first Fla-Flu ever was played the following year, on July 7, 1912 at Laranjeiras stadium. Fluminense won this match 3-2, with 800 people in attendance.
The moniker Fla-Flu was coined by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football.