Football is an emotional game which plays directly with your heart. A game where each victory is sweet but one over your rivals is just something that cannot be explained in words. The rivalries, the competition, the drama and the fights are things that make football a game of the people.
These games may often carry no significance as such, but they are always a matter of pride and honour. A win can light up your life like nothing else and a loss can keep you gloomy for a long period of time. These games are directly responsible for who will have the bragging rights till the time the clubs meet again.
Often we come across some of the celebrated derby matches which get a lot of attention from the football world. However, this spotlight tends to ignore the little derby matches which occupy a huge place in their supporters’ hearts.
To remind you of them, Sportskeeda brings to you some of the lesser known derbies in world football:
#1 Eternal Derby
The fierce matchup between the biggest clubs of Serbia is played between Belgrade clubs, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade. Another rivalry that goes beyond football, the Eternal Derby is the biggest derby played in Southeast Europe. The fixture once saw a sky-high attendance of 108,000 in the Red Star Stadium which showed the clout of this derby.
The derby has political origins with Red Star the club made by anti-fascist youth and Partizan having close ties with the Yugoslav People’s Army. The match, later on, became a tussle between the Interior Ministry and the Defence Ministry who supported Red Star and Partizan respectively.
The fixture often sees huge banners, mosaics and flares on the matchday. The fixture like all bitter rivalries has seen its fair share of violence. Due to security concerns, the sale of tickets is often not allowed for this match.
Current head to head record:
| Red Star wins | Draws | Partizan Wins |
| 109 | 5 | 138 |
Also Read: World's most intense football derbies
#2 Tees-Wear Derby
The Tees-Wear derby is a local derby between Middlesbrough and Sunderland who lie at a small distance of 26 miles from each other. The clubs are based in the North East part of England and witness electric atmosphere on match days. It is the main derby for Middlesbrough since Sunderland is the closest biggest club to them.
The rivalry has become prominent again after Middlesbrough returned to the Premier League after 9 long years. The Smoggies drew first blood this season as they beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light 1-2 and it would be interesting to see what happens in the reverse fixture.
At the moment, Boro seem to be the better of the two clubs as they sit 4 points above their rivals who are fighting relegation.
Current head to head record:
| Sunderland Wins | Draws | Middlesbrough wins |
| 61 | 37 | 45 |
#3 Black Country Derby
The local derby is one ferocious game and is played between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. According to a survey done by the Football Pools, a UK based betting pool, the Black Country derby is the most hard-fought rivalry in terms of ferocity in English football.
The matches have often involved violence and vandalism, which has gone to the extent of throwing smoke bombs at each other. There have also been instances where stadium seats were broken and thrown at the opposition fans, some of which have caused serious.
The fans get to see little of this gritty rivalry after Wolves got relegated in 2012. The club is currently struggling in the Championship and is placed at a lowly 16th position on the points table.
Current head to head record:
| Wolves wins | Draws | West Brom Wins |
| 53 | 42 | 64 |
Also Read: 5 football derbies fans would love to see in the Premier League
#4 Derby of the Eternal Enemies
Greece’s biggest rivalry yet not known to a lot of football fans, the derby match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos is one of the biggest and most celebrated rivalries around the world. The two clubs literally divide the Athenian population into two groups that support one side each.
The rivalry goes back to the early 20th century and is a result of cultural and social differences between the fans of the two clubs. The working class were supporters of Olympiacos and the aristocratic class were supporters of Panathinaikos. This disparity in income and economic status created a lot of bad blood between the fans of the two sides and the effects can be seen to this date.
The rivalry is one of the most violent in world football and is often seen accompanying street riots, flares, fireworks and all sorts of vandalism. The rivalry is not limited to just football but also extends to other games like basketball and volleyball.
Current head to head record:
| Olympiacos wins | Draws | Panathinaikos Wins |
| 80 | 66 | 48 |
#5 Main Moscow Derby
The rivalry between the two Moscow-based clubs Spartak and CSKA is one of the most intense in world football. Another rivalry that came off social backgrounds, CSKA and Spartak rivalry is rife with football hooliganism.
CSKA was the official team of the Soviet Army back in the days of the massive Soviet Union whereas Spartak was built by the Trade Unionists who were the representatives of the working class of communist Russia.
The violence and hate is at such an extreme level that official records suggest that more than 1100 police officials are deployed every time the two face each other. There have also been reports of racial chants being and jibes being taken by the fans of both the clubs and the rivalry is nothing short of being called mad.
Current head to head record:
| Spartak wins | Draws | CSKA Wins |
| 64 | 33 | 58 |
