The Biggest Spanish Football Rivalries & Local DerbiesSpain is a complex country where people often take greater pride in their region than they do in their nation. It is full of contrasting regional identities and those really do manifest themselves on the football pitch and in the stands, not least on derby day. Here’s a look at some of the biggest Spanish football rivalries. You may also want to check out the excellent Copa90 documentaries on some of the big Spanish derbies, a few of which feature below.
Canary Islands DerbyLas Palmas vs TenerifeThe Canary Islands are most widely known as a pleasant, winter sun destination but not many visitors appreciate the extent of the passion for football which exists. Even within Spain, their distant location, a two hour flight from the mainland, means they are often overlooked but the Canaries have played a real part in Spanish football history. The likes of David Silva and current Barcelona star Pedri hail from the two major islands whose biggest clubs contest the Canary Islands Derby. Las Palmas, from the island of Gran Canaria, have spent more seasons in the top flight but Tenerife have had periods when they’ve been the more successful club too, particularly during the 1990’s when they spent 10 straight seasons in the Primera. To some extent, it’s surprising how rarely this fixture has been played with the clubs often in different leagues but it was a regular on the Segunda División calendar in recent years until Las Palmas won promotion in 2023.
Catalan DerbyBarcelona vs EspanyolThe big derby in Catalunya is between the two major clubs in the city of Barcelona and is also known as the Derbi barceloní. It has been one of the most one-sided rivalries in European football with FC Barcelona the dominant force but their rare derby slip-ups have often been memorable. One of the sweetest moments for Espanyol fans was not even a victory, but a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou in a match dubbed “El Tamudazo” as visiting forward Raúl Tamudo scored a brace late in the 2006/07 season which proved decisive in Barcelona’s failure to win the league. They’ve not had much to shout about since though and the RCDE Stadium will again host Segunda División football during the 2023/24 campaign.
However in terms of silverware, Depor have the edge thanks to a remarkable period where they defied the odds to challenge the Spanish elite around the turn of the century. These days though, they are languishing in the third tier following a shock relegation from the Segunda División in 2020 and have even suffered the humiliation of losing against Celta’s B team who are in their section of the Primera Federación.
Despite the friendly nature, it is unquestionably still one of the biggest rivalries in Spanish football. Athletic have had more success down the years and have boldly hung on to their “Basque only” transfer policy. Real Sociedad abandoned that stance when they signed John Aldridge in 1989 but still take great pride in their academy and ability to produce local talent, something which helped them get the better of Athletic in the delayed 2020 Copa del Rey Final, arguably the biggest ever meeting between the clubs. Athletic & La Real fans via Joxemai, CC BY-SA 3.
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The Asturian DerbyReal Oviedo vs Sporting GijónAnother of the most ferocious football rivalries in Spain takes place in Asturias, a small but incredibly picturesque northern region. Gijón and Oviedo are just 30 km apart, which certainly adds to the spice in a country where many “local” derbies involve teams that are actually fairly distant neighbours by the standards of most European countries. A bit like the Galician derby, fans of Sporting Gijón and Real Oviedo are both really proud to be Asturian but when derby day comes, passions rise and the battle to be the pride of the principality can spill over into the streets with violent clashes between rival groups not uncommon.
Alicante Province DerbyHércules vs ElcheThis is another of those derbies that younger football fans may not be aware of with the most recent meetings having taken place in the relative obscurity of the Segunda B in 2017/18. While Elche have since risen back to take their place amongst the Spanish elite before suffering relegation in 2023, Hércules have slid further, ending up in the fourth tier following a restructure of the Spanish lower leagues. It therefore may be some time before we get another derby between the two regional rivals but Hércules are a club who really should be higher up Spain’s football ladder. Based in Alicante, the country’s 11th largest city and with a stadium which holds almost 30, 000, Hércules followers certainly do not view themselves as inferior to their rivals in nearby Elche, less than 30 km away.
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