# Football's Biggest Rivalries · Football Level 9: Master

Football · Level 9: Master · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/football/level-9/footballs-biggest-rivalries/)

Football's Biggest Rivalries in Football (Level 9: Master) on Insporta: 100 sourced facts behind 10 tests. Covers: the old firm; and more.

The great rivalries in depth: the Old Firm, Boca and River, the two Milans, England's derbies, Germany's rivalries, Istanbul, Belgrade, Brazil's derbies, the national teams, and Africa and Asia.

## Test 1: The Old Firm

- Celtic's first ever match was against Rangers, who were then already sixteen years old. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Both clubs profited from the big crowds the fixture drew, and the phrase mocked their partnership. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The disaster on Stairway 13 led to the rebuilding of Ibrox as an all-seated stadium. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The new company had to start at the bottom and took four seasons to return to the top flight. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Johnston had played for Celtic and had seemed about to rejoin them. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Walter Smith's side equalled the nine of Stein's Celtic. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Supporters suspected the clubs of arranging a draw for money and set the stadium on fire. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1888, 1909, 1971 and 2012. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1966-74, 1989-97 and 2012-20. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Steven Gerrard's Rangers finished 25 points clear without losing a league match. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 2: The Superclásico in depth

- Boca fans are still called 'Xeneizes', the Genoese. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The founders are said to have taken the colours of the next ship to dock. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- River moved from La Boca to the richer north of the city, in Núñez. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- River spent one season in the second division and came straight back. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- It happened after a goalless Superclásico and remains Argentina's worst stadium disaster. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- River's players were attacked with pepper spray in the tunnel at half-time. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- River won 5-3 on aggregate; the first leg at La Bombonera ended 2-2. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1905, 1923, 1968 and 2011. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- November to December 2018. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The only Superclásico in a continental final was settled more than 10,000 km from Buenos Aires. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 3: The Derby della Madonnina

- English founders, among them Herbert Kilpin, set up the club; the English spelling 'Milan' remains. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Meazza played for both clubs, mostly for Inter, and won two World Cups. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Shevchenko scored twice in the rout. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Both legs were at San Siro; Milan's 'away' goal in a 1-1 second leg decided it. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Ronaldo joined Inter in 1997 and Milan in 2007. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Inter won both legs and lost the final to Manchester City. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- He won titles with Inter from 2007 to 2009 and with Milan in 2011 and 2022. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2023. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Meazza in 1927, Ronaldo in 1997 and Ibrahimović in 2006. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The name Internazionale reflects the founders' wish to be open to players from abroad. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 4: English derbies

- Supporters of both clubs traditionally sat side by side. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The move into north London, near Tottenham, turned a local rivalry into a bitter one. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- When the division was enlarged, Arsenal were elected to it and Spurs were relegated. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The railway workers' club became Manchester United in 1902; Ardwick and St Mark's were City's early names. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- United were relegated whatever the result, because other matches went against them. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The north-east's two biggest clubs are about twelve miles apart. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The day moves each season, when the league table makes it mathematically certain. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1892, 1913, 1974 and November 2004. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Everton in 1878, Tottenham in 1882, Arsenal in 1886 and Liverpool in 1892. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Everton fell out with John Houlding, who then founded Liverpool to play at the empty ground. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 5: German rivalries

- Naldo headed the equaliser in stoppage time. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- With about 25,000 standing places it is the largest terrace in European football. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1860 were Munich's bigger club in the 1960s; they left the Allianz Arena in 2017. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The northern rivalry peaked when both challenged for titles in the 1980s. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Bayern met his release clause; he missed the final through injury. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Dortmund received nothing for their leading scorer. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The cities are about fifty kilometres apart across the Rhine region. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- April 2013, May 2013, 2014 and 2016. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Köln won the first Bundesliga in 1964, Bayern in 1969, Gladbach in 1970 and Hamburg in 1979. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- It was the first all-German final; Bayern won 2-1. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 6: The Istanbul derby

- Fenerbahçe are from Kadıköy on the Asian side, Galatasaray from the European side. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- They beat Arsenal on penalties in Copenhagen and then won the Super Cup against Real Madrid. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The gesture nearly caused a riot and made him a hero at Galatasaray. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Galatasaray followed in 1905 and Fenerbahçe in 1907. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The club was started by students of the old French-language school in Beyoğlu. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Hagi and Popescu were the Romanian stars of his side. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Alex played for Fenerbahçe from 2004 to 2012 and scored in many derbies against Galatasaray. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1903, 1905 and 1907. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- April 2000, May 2000 and August 2000. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The Bosphorus separates Europe from Asia in the middle of Istanbul. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 7: The Eternal Derby of Belgrade

- Both were founded in 1945, in the first months of Tito's Yugoslavia. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Partizan were the army club; Red Star grew out of the anti-fascist youth movement. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Partizan led 1-0 in Brussels before Real scored twice; it was the first final for an Eastern European club. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Pančev scored the winning penalty. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Delije are Red Star's supporters; Torcida belongs to Hajduk Split. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Prosinečki, Savićević, Pančev and Mihajlović led a side that broke up with the country. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Yugoslav clubs and the national team were banned from 1992 as the country fell apart. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1945, 1966, 1991 and 1992. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1986, 1991 and 1993; Red Star beat Marseille in the 1991 final. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The final was played at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 8: Brazilian derbies

- Flamengo was a rowing club; unhappy Fluminense players set up its football section. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The playwright, a Fluminense fan, wrote about the derby for decades. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The official figure of 194,603 is quoted as a world record for a match between clubs. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The name joins the first letters of the two clubs. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The two biggest clubs of São Paulo city have met since 1917. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Clubs with Italian names were forced to change them. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Cruzeiro, founded by the Italian community, also changed their name during the war. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Flamengo's rowing club dates from 1895, Vasco from 1898 and Fluminense from 1902. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1902, 1911, 1912 and 1963. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Italian immigrants founded it; the name changed to Palmeiras in 1942. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 9: National-team rivalries

- The pictures of fans on the crossbar became symbols of the rivalry. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- It was England's first defeat since winning the 1966 World Cup. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The two later made peace and appeared together in an advert. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The semi-final win in Hamburg avenged 1974 for many Dutch fans. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- His penalty gave England a 1-0 win in Sapporo. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The USA beat Mexico 2-0 in four World Cup qualifiers in Columbus, Ohio, and at the 2002 World Cup. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- After Germany scored early, both sides stopped attacking; FIFA then made final group matches kick off together. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1872, 1967, 1977 and 1996. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1974, 1988 and 1990. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- He flicked a leg at Diego Simeone after being fouled; England lost on penalties in Saint-Étienne. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

## Test 10: Africa and Asia

- Al Ahly was founded in 1907 and Zamalek in 1911. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Motaung had played for Pirates before a spell in the United States. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Their supporters are known for huge choreographies. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Esteghlal were called Taj before 1979. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The derby has been played since 1925. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Their win over the East Yorkshire Regiment became a symbol of the independence movement. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- The Accra club against the Kumasi club. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1907, 1911, 1937 and 1970. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- 1889, 1911 and 1920. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)
- Both clubs have their roots in Soweto, Johannesburg's great township. (Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries)

Sources: FIFA and UEFA official records / club records / contemporary match reports / published histories and biographies / audited club accounts

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