Fansided

30 best soccer rivalries in the world

By Andrew Dowdeswell

MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 23: Shirts bearing the names of Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF are seen on display at a merchandise stall prior to the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 23, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 23: Shirts bearing the names of Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF are seen on display at a merchandise stall prior to the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 23, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) /
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 02: Wayne Rooney of Manchester United breaks away from Yaya Toure of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on November 2, 2014 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 02: Wayne Rooney of Manchester United breaks away from Yaya Toure of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on November 2, 2014 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

10. Manchester United vs Manchester City

The Manchester Derby is a major rivalry in English football. It perhaps suffers from the disparity in success between the two clubs, and United’s strong rivalry with other clubs away from Manchester. Furthermore, it is well-known that many United fans do not have ties to Manchester itself.

During the successful reign of Sir Alex Ferguson, United have become one of the biggest clubs in world soccer, but with such size and reputation, comes fans from all around the world. These supporters do not have the same hatred for their Manchester neighbors, and many football fans in Manchester attach themselves to the blue half of the city.

However, there is still great animosity between the fan bases, and City’s old stadium Maine Road is well renowned for violence and rioting, none more so than when their local neighbors came across town. Such is the anger between these two sides, that arrests were made in a recent U21 match and there have been plenty of mass riots and brawls caught up in the hooliganism of soccer.

The rivalry have been reignited with Manchester City’s new owner, Sheikh Manseur, who has invested significant amounts of money to develop a truly world-class squad.

This rivalry culminated in one of the greatest finishes to a league season in history, as Manchester United looked set to nick the title in the final game of the season. However, with City needing a win and only added time remaining, Sergio Aguero smashed home the winner with seconds remaining of the campaign.

Utter delight and utter disappointment shrouded the two halves of Manchester. With both teams full of quality, the rivalry will continue as they both look to add to their many league titles.

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