10 Biggest Rivalries In German Football
2. Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich (Der Klassiker)
This is no neighbourhood turf war – nor is it even a battle for regional pride. It is unconventional to class this as a true “rivalry” given that Munich and Dortmund lie nearly 600 kilometres apart. The fan bases, though, are not shy about making plain their feelings for one another as this rivalry was born out of pure competition between the clubs to be the best.
The biggest moment in the history of this relatively young rivalry took place in neither the Allianz Arena nor Signal Iduna Park. In 2013, the two teams met at London’s Wembley Stadium in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. Bayern won a memorable match 2-1 on the way to completing a historic treble under Jupp Heynckes.
This game has a huge following from outside of Germany too. It’s safe to say that it is among the biggest rivalries in German football.
1. Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke (Revier derby)
There is plenty at stake whenever these clubs meet on the football field. From local bragging rights to either solidifying or getting into one of the European places, this derby is very intense.
When the clubs first met in 1925, not many could have predicted how fierce the rivalry would grow, but with the help of a number of intense and significant matches, it has become arguably the biggest derby in German football.
Most heated rivalries sustain the biggest differences such as religion, politics, social class status, ethnic nature reasons, etc, but none of them applies to the Revierderby as their cities and their support are very similar. On one hand, Dortmund was powered by steel and beer. On the other, Gelsenkirchen was built on coal but both are working-class and have been affected the same by recessions.
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