What makes a derby a derby, is a great love for your club and hatred for the greatest rival, are the two most important reasons why the derby is special. In order for a football derby to be big, it is necessary to have an equal reputation for two clubs, a similar number of fans, an uncertain race in all competitions and naturally different colors of the club.
Football is itself a pure emotion, but there is a period when what we feel about the twenty-two men chasing the ball, can not be measured or compared with anything.
The mentioned period can often vary with intensity and length, from several days to several weeks but it is still easy to determine that the epicenter of "madness" stays somewhere between 90 and 120 minutes, excluding a potential penal series.Then everything that really matters and essentially becomes absolutely irrelevant, and your thoughts and all the types of energy you give are focused on just one thing. That your beloved team records victory over the biggest, eternal rival.
What is morally, becomes immoral - then the way and means are not chosen in order to reach the goal. Then it is only important that your team, after the last referee whistle, raise your arms above your head, while you are thrown in the trance and rejoice with the people you have seen for the first time in your life. The game that has the power to divide cities into half, the eternal rivalries that turn the brothers and great friends into the hot rivals, but at the same time they provide us with unique experience and luck, as well as valuable, unforgettable memories.
We only have few of these kind of games in the world, so I bring you next two for this first edition of Greatest Football Derbies in the World series :
Olympique Marseille - Paris Saint-Germain
Each game of these two biggest clubs in France presents an uncertain game, and when it comes to fans, it is one of the most prestigious derbies. These are the two most popular clubs in France and beyond. This is the duel of the two biggest cities of France, the south against the north, the duel of the oldest and youngest club. Marseille was founded in 1899, while PSG founded 71 years later, in 1970. Incidents between fans continue each year, frequent arrests and fan fights. In 1995, on the day of the derby, 145 fans were arrested and 9 policemen were injured. Olympique Marseille, a team with a long tradition was more successful until a group of investors from Qatar took over PSG and began with big investments, in the last decade PSG dominated the French league.
As for the title in the domestic championship, OM has 9 wins, while PSG has 6 titles of that 4 in the last 5 years. When the French Cup is in question, OM has won 10 trophies and the last they won in 1989, while PSG won 11 trophies. Additionally, we add that OM won European Cup, today's Champions League in 1993, were the second in 1991, when Red Star Belgrade was better and won the finals on penalties.
The best scorer in the history of the derby is Zlatan Ibrahimovic with 11 goals, which he managed in just 4 seasons of playing in Paris.
Ajax - Feyenoord
The Netherlands, a tolerant country, liberal on all issues, with a tradition of accepting the differences of everyone and everything. However, on the day of this match, the Netherlands is becoming similar to the most brutal countries struggling with hooliganism. Derby to Amsterdam and Rotterdam is great because Ajax is proud of Amsterdam, while Feyenoord is proud of Rotterdam. Amsterdam is an elite of the Netherlands, while Feyenoord represents the working class. The conflicts between these two different cities are frequent and out of football.
Major clashes between two fan groups started in 1997, when Ajax's fan was beaten to death by Feyenoord fans. In 2004 Ajax fans attacked Feyenoord's player, George Acuna, who suffered head injury, neck and ribs. Robin Van Persie was also the target of Ajax fans.
Ajax is a more successful club and has 82 wins in each other's matches, while Feyenoord was better at 58 doubles. Ajax has won 33 titles of the Dutch Championship and 18 Cup trophies, won the Champions League on 4 occasions. Feyenoord has won 15 titles of the Dutch Championship, 12 trophies of the Cup and one trophy of the Champions League, then European Cup in 1970.
This is the first article of Greatest Football Derbies in the World series. I'll bring you more of extreme worlds rivalries in upcoming articles. Hope that, this was interesting for you. Thanks for reading.
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