For so long, the Manchester derby was a tale of a dominant, all-conquering outfit against their embattled, less glamorous ‘noisy neighbours’. But in the past decade, fortunes have unequivocally changed hands following Manchester City’s takeover by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour in 2008. Now, it is the blue side gunning to win a Treble, with the Premier League champions heading into Saturday’s FA Cup final looking to edge close to that achievement, and with the Champions League final still to come. United, meanwhile, are aiming to prevent City from equalling their own unprecedented achievement in the first all-Manchester FA Cup final. BBC Sport looks at how this fixture sizes up to some of the other city derbies in world football.
AC Milan v Inter – ‘Derby della Madonnina’ is likened by fans of both sides to the competitive edge shared between cousins rather than mortal enemies. It is quite fitting then that one club was formed by breaking away from the other and, that like many extended families, they occupy the same home turf. With a matchday atmosphere so electric it has been known to make the iconic San Siro shake underfoot, giving the illusion it too is swaying along to the choreography of the fans.
The North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham was initially born out of proximity, with Arsenal being the third-most decorated side in English football. Plenty of players have risked the wrath of fans on either side of the divide by swapping one club for the other – most notably Sol Campbell, who moved to better his chances of winning silverware, which he duly secured.
Rangers v Celtic – ‘The Old Firm’ has in the past been marred by fan violence, with historical religious differences meaning this rivalry runs deep off the field. Scotland’s two biggest clubs are also each other’s biggest rivals for silverware – whether you are a ‘Bhoy,’ or a ‘Ger,’ the prospect of winning trophies or denying your rival claiming them just adds to the appeal. This derby rarely fails to deliver in terms of passion, incident and entertainment.
Sevilla v Real Betis – ‘El Gran Derbi’ is fought in the city of Seville in the heart of Andalucia, or the ‘Frying pan of Spain.’ Divided between red and white and green and white, there’s absolutely no room for split loyalties when derby day arrives. Current club captains Jesus Navas and Joaquin – who is retiring at the end of the season – are Seville-born and graduated from academy to first team, leading their respective boyhood clubs to silverware.
Boca Juniors v River Plate – ‘El Superclasico’ is considered one of football’s must-see rivalries. The hatred runs so deep between these two Buenos Aires neighbours that the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final had to be postponed due to fan violence. The rearranged fixture was moved to a different continent to avoid a repeat of the ugly scenes witnessed between home fans and the away team bus. The unwavering loyalty on both sides sees the occasion teeter on the line between order and chaos long before (and for quite some time after) the match itself.
Red Star Belgrade v Partisan Belgrade – ‘The Eternal derby’ is a fixture which dates back to 1947. Partizan and Red Star have shared 24 of 25 Serbian league titles between them, with the latter having also won the Champions League in 1990-91. Yet matters on the pitch are often secondary to the rivalry in the stands. Red Star’s ‘Heroes’ and Partizan’s ‘Gravediggers’ provide a fervent atmosphere to the occasion, with violence the inevitable result. No other occasion in the city receives such a strong policing presence as when these sides meet.
Galatasaray v Fenerbahce – ‘Intercontinental derby’ began as a friendly rivalry between two clubs sharing a home city but is now the source of one of the most deep-seated dislikes in football. The catalyst for this switch from best friends to fickle foes came in 1934, when the desire to win got so intense that the fixture descended into fighting on the pitch and in the stands. Plenty of unsavoury events have continued to mar this fixture throughout its history; the infamous Graeme Souness flag incident, ‘The Water derby,’ and recurring street rioting between rival supporters groups. With nearly equal support for both clubs throughout Turkey, the significance spreads nationwide.
Corinthians v Palmeiras – ‘Derby Paulista’ is considered serious business in Brazil’s big cities. With acutely similar origin stories, these clubs could be mistaken for kindred spirits rather than rivals. With a record attendance of 120,000 fans, this game brings an atmosphere rarely seen anywhere throughout the world. At this fixture’s centre, amid the fireworks, flares and banners, often lies a highly competitive and entertaining game of football.
Olympiakos v Panathinaikos – ‘The derby of eternal enemies’ is a derby so fierce that it brings great city of Athens to a standstill for days on end. A fixture that began as a class divide between the establishment of Ancient Athens and the merchants of Piraeus, this century-long rivalry has certainly seen more than its fair share of title tussles, hooliganism, and violence.
So great has been the shifting of power in Manchester that few would have believed it possible a decade ago that it would be City gunning for a Treble rather than their red neighbours. But now, as Saturday’s FA Cup final approaches and with the Champions League final still to come, we can take a look at how this fixture sizes up against some of world football’s other great city derbies. From AC Milan v Inter’s ‘Derby della Madonnina’ to Boca Juniors v River Plate’s ‘El Superclasico’, North London’s Arsenal v Tottenham derby to Red Star Belgrade v Partisan Belgrade’s ‘Eternal Derby’, each rivalry has its own unique story and atmosphere that makes it an unforgettable experience for any football fan.