Serie A rivalries ranked: Roma vs. Lazio in the Derby della Capitale tops the list, then Inter vs. Juventus

On Sunday, Serie A football will host two of the most iconic matches. The della Capitale Derby between Roma and Lazio and the Derby of Italy between Inter and Juventus will end the last matchday before the international break (remember that you can watch Serie A matches throughout the season, only on Paramount+), and this is a great chance to enter the top ten Italian rivals of all time. Italian football is full of vicious matches and great stories about some of the most iconic clashes that usually take place every season. Let’s drive around the country to see which games made the list.

10. Fiorentina vs Juventus

This rivalry became especially tense in the 1990s, when former Fiorentina player Roberto Baggio joined the Bianconeri in the summer of 1990. The Italian football icon was one of the club’s most beloved players and his move to Juventus sharpened the rivalry between the two sides. . Baggio’s move was a big scandal back then, but in recent years more Fiorentina players have joined Juventus such as Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa and finally Dusan Vlahovic.

9. Inter vs Napoli

The rivalry between Inter and Napoli dates back to the 1980s when the two teams were considered among the best and were in contention to win the Scudetto when Diego Maradona played in Serie A. However, the two fan bases have a history due to the historical tension between the north and south of the country. Inter come from Milan and use the strength and wealth of the North, while Naples is the most populous southern city and is always considered a serious rival to northern cities, in particular Milan. In recent years, there have been several major clashes between the ultras groups of Inter and Napoli, which are not so much related to this story, but to the rivalry of the ultras, especially after 2018, when a member of the Nerazzurri group was killed by far-right. Following this episode, Napoli fans living around Naples are still unable to attend away matches, such as the one on January 6 this year, to prevent further clashes.

8. Genoa vs. Sampdoria

One of the most iconic Italian city derbies: Genoa vs Sampdoria is also called the Derby della Lanterna because of the lighthouse, which is one of the symbols of the city. The rivalry doesn’t need much explanation as the two clubs are from the same city and it’s definitely one of the best atmospheres you can experience in Italy. Unfortunately this match will not take place this year because the two teams are in different leagues as Genoa are in Serie B after being relegated last year and there is a good chance it will not take place next season, as Sampdoria are currently in the bottom of Serie A, while city rivals are well positioned to return to the first division.

7. Atalanta vs Brescia

One of the most intense rivalries between fan bases is the confrontation between Atalanta and Brescia. The two cities, Bergamo and Brescia, are not only historically hostile in football, but as always, sports are a good (or bad) place to escalate rivalries. Tensions escalated in 1993 when Atalanta fans invaded the pitch and started fighting on the pitch with home fans. Another episode occurred in 2001, when former Brescia coach Carlo Mazzone became famous for his flight to Atalanta fans in the Brescia-Atalanta derby. After they insulted him throughout the match, Mazzone “promised” the opposing fans that he would run under their away section if Brescia managed to equalize (they were losing 3-1 at half-time). After two goals scored by Roberto Baggio for Brescia, Mazzone kept his word.

6. Palermo vs Catania

The Sicilian derby is one of the most iconic clashes in Italian football. The two clubs also represent the region’s two largest cities and their rivalry escalated in the 1980s due to several episodes of violence between the two fan bases. Unfortunately, the game is also remembered for the death of police officer Filippo Raciti. in 2007 during clashes between a Catania ultras group and the police. After this episode, the entire Serie A tournament stopped for a week and Catania could not play at their home stadium for the rest of the season.

5. Inter vs Milan

Let’s get into the top five of the rivalry with the Derby della Madonnina, one of the most iconic games in Italian football. Despite being the most anticipated match of the Serie A season every year, the rivalry between the fans is very different from others. Both Inter and Milan are used to winning trophies and have shared the biggest stage in their history so far, with a few exceptions. That’s why their rivalry is much more focused on the field, and the main thing is winning trophies, as happened last season when the Rossoneri won the Scudetto against city rivals on the last matchday of the season. In addition, beginning in 1983, the two most powerful ultras groups of the two teams agreed to prevent any episodes of violence between the two sides. It definitely helped to calm the whole atmosphere right before the 1980s and 1990s when ultras groups all over Europe became critical to the safety of gaming, not just in Italy.

4. Napoli vs Roma

This rivalry stems from a friendship between the two fan bases that has grown into one of the most intense rivalries in Italian football. In the 1970s and 80s, this game was called the Derby of the Sun because of the good relations between the fans, but after a controversial match in 1987, everything changed. The rivalry escalated and was fought mostly between fans off the pitch until things escalated ahead of the 2014 Coppa Italia final when Napoli winger Ciro Esposito was gunned down by Roma winger Daniele De Santis. The incident led to a long delay and negotiations between the police and the Naples ultras group. led by a man who was wearing a T-shirt in support of the Catania far-right who killed policeman Filippo Raciti in 2007. Then in January of this year, 180 people were identified in connection with possible involvement in violent clashes that took place on the Italian A1 motorway between Roma and Napoli fans, and after this episode, the Italian government banned the fans of the two clubs from attending away games for the following two months.

3. Napoli vs. juventus

This rivalry has several stories and meanings. First, as between Napoli and Inter, Juventus represent the values ​​of northern Italy, and this makes Napoli and Juventus opposites of each other, creating a rivalry exacerbated by the history of the two cities. In the past few years, he has become even stronger as Napoli began to fight for the title, as in 2018, when the Azzurri scored 91 points, but this was not enough to beat Juventus, despite winning a key match in Turin thanks to scored goal. Kalidou Coulibaly. Also, the transfer of Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus became one of the symbols of this rivalry, since in the summer of 2016 the Bianconeri paid a release of 90 million to sign the Argentine striker.

2. Inter vs Juventus

Here comes the Derby d’Italia (airs on Sunday Paramount+) is one of the most important games of Italian football. Inter and Juventus have a long list of outstanding games that have made Serie A history. The rivalry peaked in the 1990s when both teams were in contention for the title, especially in the 1997–98 season when Ronaldo (original, not variant Cristiano, who later played for Juventus) was not awarded a penalty for Inter at a critical moment, which caused a big scandal among Inter fans. Then, in 2002, Inter lost the Scudetto on the last match day after losing away to Lazio and the Bianconeri won the title. The rivalry became even more bitter in 2006 when Juventus were involved in Calciopoli, a major refereeing scandal led to them being relegated to Serie B the following season. ” still consider this title their own, at least unofficially. More recently, the rivalry was revived when Antonio Conte joined Inter after the former Juventus captain propelled the Bianconeri back to the top of Serie A, beginning a ten-year period of dominance. In fact, this continued until Conte ended it at the helm of Inter.

1. Roma vs. Lazio

By far the fiercest rivalry in Italian football. Roma and Lazio fans live for this match, and the whole city literally freezes when the game is on. There is a saying about Derby della Capital: “In Milan they talk about Derby for a week, in Rome for a year.” And this is absolutely true. However, over the years there have been serious episodes of violence between the ultras groups of the two clubs. The most notable incident occurred in 1979 when Lazio fan Vincenzo Paparelli has died. Roma fans at Curva Sud fired two naval rockets at the Lazio fans at the opposite end. None of them hit their intended targets. The third went all the way from end to end and hit Paparelli right in the left eye. In 2004, the Derby della Capitale was suspended after groups of Roma and Lazio supporters reacted to the news that a boy had been hit by a police car before a match and demanded that the game be suspended. It was later revealed that this was not actually the case, but the two ultras groups forced the game to be stopped anyway, and then there were clashes outside the stadium.