7 of the most fierce local derbies we’ve not seen nearly enough of
Forget the Old Firm, El Clasico and River Plate v Boca Juniors. We’re looking at football’s fiercest rivalries between teams who rarely play each other.
Whether they are usually in seperate leagues or one of the bitter enemies has fallen on hard times, absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder in these specific cases.
We’ve highlighted seven local derbies that have that extra bit of spice in part thanks to how rare they are.
Portsmouth vs Southampton
Look beyond history, statistics and recent records; the South Coast derby is one where you feel the animosity between Portsmouth and Southampton.
The two cities on England’s South Coast share a mutual loathing that would put River Plate and Boca Juniors to shame.
After 13 years in separate leagues, the Championship pair recently shared a goalless draw at St Mary’s.
Since the turn of the century the two sides have only played each other on 11 occasions, and during the entire 1990s they only met once in the FA Cup.
There were only three derbies during the 1980s and in the 1970s they played four times – and in total the two clubs have only met 73 times in 125 years.
It’s a boil that is rarely lanced, leading to extremely intense clashes on and off the pitch when the fixture occurs.
West Ham vs Millwall
Last played back in February 2012, West Ham and Millwall’s rivalry was immortalised by the film Green Street.
In truth, it added to the sense that this rivalry is fetishised by stick-armed armchair violence enthusiasts everywhere.
But the nastiness is real. Their clash in the 2009 League Cup saw widespread disorder both inside and outside Upton Park, adding to several nasty incidents in the 1970s and 1980s.
Surprisingly, Millwall hold the edge in the overall records. They’ve won 38 of the 99 meetings compared to West Ham’s 34.
Bristol City v Bristol Rovers
Forget what you’ve heard – football is the biggest sport in Bristol, with two EFL clubs and the largest independent standalone league in Europe in the Downs League.
City and Rovers haven’t played each other since massed pitch invasions at a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy First Round match in 2013.
The lack of footballing success in Bristol only intensifies the parochial nature of the derby. With the sides currently two divisions apart, the wait for their next encounter goes on.
Genoa vs Sampdoria
The Derby della Lanterna, Italian for the “Derby of the Lighthouse”, is played between the two big clubs in Genoa.
With neither side posing a consistent threat to Serie A’s big guns, the derby has taken on a special intensity of its own.
Staged at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which both clubs share, Sampdoria won the last meeting between the clubs in a 2024 Coppa Italia match and have won more games overall despite currently languishing in Serie B.
Metz vs Nancy
Like many rivalries, the beef between these two clubs in Eastern France extends to outside perceptions of the two cities.
While Metz is seen as an industrial city, Nancy has a more cultured reputation. This leads to an ecosystem of inside jokes and insults that fuels the rivalry further.
The last meeting between the pair was a 1-0 win for Nancy back in May 2019. While Metz are currently in Ligue 1, Nancy have just won promotion back to France’s second tier.
Schalke vs Borussia Dortmund
The Ruhr Derby is considered to be the greatest in German football, but Schalke’s recent woes mean hostilities between them and Dortmund have been on ice since 2023.
One of the traditional giants of the German game, Schalke finished 14th in the second tier last season. It’s all a far cry from when they and Dortmund would play in the Champions League.
Since the first Ruhr Derby in 1927, Dortmund have won 65 matches compared with Schalke’s 74.
Celta Vigo vs Deportivo La Coruna
When it comes to Spanish football rivalries, few are as intense and storied as that of Celta Vigo and Deportivo La Coruna in remote Galicia.
Vigo, home of Celta, is marginally the bigger city and can currently claim to be the home of the region’s only top-flight club.
However, in terms of silverware, Depor have the edge thanks to a remarkable period when they defied the odds to challenge the Spanish elite around the turn of the century.
The rivalry is currently on hold after Deportivo’s relegation back in 2020, but they have now returned to the Segunda Division and have made a strong start to the new season.
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