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Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by their local rivals Espanyol yesterday, and it was one of the most contentious derbies in recent times. The teams had played twice before in only the past 3 weeks, in the Copa del Rey quarter-final. Barcelona went through 2-1 on aggregate after Espanyol were deemed to have celebrated too wildly after winning the first-leg.
Gerard Pique then referred to the club as 'Espanyol de Cornella', a perceived insult as this place is actually a small suburb of the city of Barcelona. The record over the 3 recent games stands as 1 win apiece with 1 draw, something Espanyol can be reasonably proud of.
They have been, however, massively overshadowed by their rivals throughout their history. This is a common occurrence throughout European football as 1 local team rises above the other through their fan base and success rate. This slideshow will look at 5 European clubs, including unfortunate Espanyol, who are overshadowed by their city rivals:
#5 Torino (Rivals - Juventus)
The tale of this rivalry is stained with tragedy: in the 1940's, Torino had a sensational side that won 5 league titles before a plane crash killed all 31 members on board the plane. They wouldn't win another league until 1976, all of their great work of that decade cruel undone so quickly.
At that point, the Turin rivals were only 1 league trophy apart in terms of honours but since then, Juventus have been crowned Serie A champions 33 times, with Torino remaining on just 7.
Torino have never been able to return to heir glory days and have spent much of the last few decades in Serie B, meaning the derby hasn't been played as much as it used to be. As is often the distinction, Torino were defined as the club of the working class while Juventus, owned by the wealthy Agnelli family, were known for their educated, middle-class fan base.
Torino have always been up against it, and whenever the rivals do meet, the games are fiercely contested; Torino will always wonder what could have been, had tragedy not struck down their famous side.
#4 1860 Munich (Rivals - Bayern Munich)
Similar to the Turin rivals, 1860 Munich were the dominant side in the early 20th century, far superior to Bayern. At the beginning of Bundesliga, both were close in terms of honours, with 1 league title each.
Since then, sadly, 1860 Munich have been on a steady decline, culminating in their relegation to the Regionalliga Bayern this season, the 4th tier of professional German football.
They've been mismanaged woefully and suffered immense misfortune. As Bayern Munich were becoming one of Europe's greatest sides, between 1970 and 1994 1860 Munich spent 20 years in the lower divisions.
The club, like Torino, were associated with the working class of Bavaria and Bayern Munich have always been famous for their richness (they are nicknamed FC Hollywood in Germany), but the same animosity doesn't exist between the 2 clubs.
Indeed, the teams shared the Allianz Arena until 2017 and Bayern were willing to help their lesser neighbours during a troubling financial time in 2011. 1860 Munich face an incredibly tough time to regain their place on the top level of German football but it must sting for their fans to see Bayern cruising to the league title almost every season.
#3 RCD Espanyol (Rivals - Barcelona)
Barcelona's small neighbours have never, in truth, been anywhere near their famed rivals. The club only have 4 Copa del Rey titles to their name, paling in comparison to their rivals' massive trophy haul. To add insult to injury, Barcelona regard their biggest derby to be the one against Real Madrid, and the city derby isn't treated anywhere near as well.
Politics have defined the differences between the two as well: Espanyol were founded by Spanish citizens and have always mostly stayed out of politics which is in stark contrast to Barcelona who have always proclaimed themselves as a team of Catalonia, in complete favour of Catalan independence.
Gerard Pique's quote is also not entirely untruthful, as the club moved to a new stadium in 2009 which is actually located outside Barcelona itself. Barcelona, then, have the success but also the love of the city; Espanyol will always be a little nuisance that envies their larger rival.
#2 Patrick Thistle (Rivals - Celtic and Rangers)
Those not overly familiar with Scottish football might be unaware that another team exists in the city of Glasgow apart from Celtic and the New Rangers. They have gone unnoticed due to a vast difference in their stature and fortunes.
While their bigger city neighbours shared most Scottish league titles, Thistle have only 2 trophies to their name, 1 Scottish Cup in 1921 and 1 Scottish League Cup in 1971.
The latter came in a famous 4-1 win over Jock Stein's incredible Celtic side of that period but it remains 1 of only a few moments Thistle supporters have had to shout about over the decades.
As most fans flock to the other 2 teams, Thistle have attracted a smaller following, mostly situated in the North of Glasgow and made up of the middle-class and student population.
When Celtic or the New Rangers come to play at their home stadium, Firhill, it's the most eagerly anticipated game of the season for Thistle fans; the same just cannot be said for those in opposition, with Patrick Thistle being just another team to play against.
#1 FC St. Pauli (Rivals - Hamburg)
A derby definitely defined by its politics, St Pauli have earned an infamous reputation since the 1980's as being a counterculture club. Their ground is situated in Hamburg's Reeperbahn area, its red-light district, and their fans are rowdy, vocal and very left-leaning.
These fans have never had a winning team to watch though, with St. Pauli spending their history bouncing between the Bundesliga and the lower leagues.
Hamburg, in contrast, have never spent any time outside the top division, winning 6 Bundesliga titles so far. As a result, the derby hasn't been contested as much as others, with both teams operating in different spheres.
St. Pauli has a far stronger identity, an impressively progressive club who support their team in massive numbers even when they occupy the 2. Bundesliga, as compared to Hamburg, who have just defined themselves by their success on the pitch, and little else.
