The Great Debate: Our writers' favourite derbies in world football | OneFootball

It’s a game revered all over the world for its passion, intensity and brutality.

But which derby in world football do our writers think its the best?

Lewis Ambrose

Derbies: the best are between rivals geographically and competitively. The fans cannot stand each the sight of each other. My favourite? That has to be the Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke. Or Lüdenscheid-Nord and Herne-West as the fans call each other, not able to even say the name of their rivals.

Nicknamed ‘the mother of all derbies’ in Germany, games tend to be close and unpredictable. Sometimes the level of quality is high, sometimes its poor. Sometimes tempers flare, sometimes they’re kept in check. But there’s always drama.

Nothing encapsulates derby matches better than this one, where two teams and stadiums completely encapsulate encapsulates the areas and the lives of the fans like this one.

Elliott Bretland

I’m going to plump for the biggest rivalry local to where I come from so it’s got to be the Merseyside derby.

Now, admittedly, some of the games in recent years haven’t been great spectacles while I personally have only enjoyed about three or four of them in my lifetime (you can easily work out whether I am of blue or red persuasion here) though for me, nothing beats the build up to the Merseyside derby.

Families, mates and workplaces are literally split right down the middle while the banter and Scouse sense of humour in derby week is off the handle. The desperation for bragging rights is incredible.

Often described as the ‘friendly derby’, this for me is a myth. There is plenty of hatred towards each other, plenty of history and disdain, and well, it’s officially the Premier League’s dirtiest fixture.

Plus, boss scenes!

Dan Burke

My bias is showing again here but I’d have to say the Manchester derby.

Even in the days when City were hopelessly poor and United dominated English football, this was always a derby where the form book kind of went out of the window and it felt like anything could happen.

Since City got money good, the Manchester derby has become an even huger spectacle watched by millions of people around the world and if I’m not mistaken, last year’s meeting between the two sides at Old Trafford broke a number of records in terms of viewing figures.

It’s usually an entertaining game between two top tier teams and though United fans love to taunt their noisy neighbours by saying Liverpool are their real rivals, there’s no doubt that the two sets of supporters absolutely despise each other, which all adds to the spice.

Dima Markova

You don’t really know the true meaning of a rivalry unless you’ve watched the Derby of Northern Greece. When Greek-middle-class Aris battle against Greek-refugee-working-class PAOK, all hell breaks loose.

The two clubs, and their (clinically insane) fans, are separated by a mere 2km in downtown Thessaloniki, Greece – and these two thousand meters are not enough to contain the pure anger and absolute rage transmitting from each stadium. Hours before the match, roads are blocked-off, buses are rerouted, shops pull down their shutters and the calm before the storm nestles itself within the ancient city walls.

The scenes hours later include: stadium on fire (true story), demolished buildings, annihilated historic landmarks, bloody pavements, overpowered police force and injured civilians. The century of savagery and ever-growing hatred between Aris and PAOK make this the most intense football derby in the world.

And let’s not forget what happens when PAOK take the road to Athens … last season, club owner Ivan Savvidis caused the suspension of the Greek Superleague after invading the pitch with a gun. Standard.

Alex Mott

It’s often said that El Clásico is the best, most intense derby in world football. Rubbish. It’s not even the best in Spain. My pick for the ultimate footballing rivalry is Real Betis – Sevilla.

For the past decade it was perhaps more interesting off the pitch than on it, but with Quique Setién’s arrival as manager of the Verdiblancos, it’s re-established its place as the grudge match.

Two sets of fans who truly hate each other, two stadiums that are some of the most atmospheric on the continent in a city that devours the game. If you go to one derby in your lifetime, make it this one.