Germany’s fiercest football rivalries

Der Klassiker (Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich)

Der Klassiker (The Classic) is arguably one of the most famous, and most important, match-ups during the season. The games between two of Germany’s most successful clubs have always been fierce over the last decade. It’s a rivalry that is born out of competition to be the Bundesliga’s best club, hence why some fans have doubts over the nature of the rivalry as it doesn’t have such a long history as other football derbies in the country. Some Bayern fans still see 1. FC Nürnberg and Borussia Mönchengladback as their biggest rivals, whereas Borussia Dortmund has a strong rivalry with Schalke 04. Nevertheless, Der Klassiker remains one of the most anticipated fixtures in world football. 

The Revierderby (FC Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund)

The rivalry between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund is considered the greatest rivalry in German football. Both clubs are separated by less than 32 kilometres. There are no religious, economic or political differences between both sides. Borussia and Schalke both also have an extremely passionate, working-class fanbase from the Ruhr region, which has long been Germany’s centre of coal and steel production. Although there are not many differences between the teams that are the most successful sides in the region, they do battle each other for local bragging rights and absolutely can’t stand each other. 

The Politisches derby (FC St. Pauli vs Hansa Rostock)

The Politische derby (Political derby) is a derby between two teams who are divided by their political ideas. The cult club St. Pauli is widely known for their support of left-wing politics and has a distinctive social culture. The club officially banned right-wing nationalist activities and displays in its stadium when football hooliganism was at an all-time high in Europe in the 1980s. Hansa Rostock, however, is on the other side of the political spectrum and leans more towards far-right ideology and Neo-Nazism. The clubs met for the first time in 1992 and given their political differences, violent clashes between both fanbases are a common occurrence. 

Hamburg derby (HSV vs FC St. Pauli)

St. Pauli also has another local rival from the same city in Hamburger SV. It’s not just the proximity that defines their rivalry. St. Pauli hails from a working-class neighbourhood in the city centre, whereas HSV hails from the suburbs of Hamburg and is considered to be more upper-class. There is also a political divide, although it’s not as notable as it was in the 1980s when a small part of HSV’s fanbase was neo-nazi. Over time HSV has developed a more inclusive fanbase. 

Nordderby (HSV vs Werder Bremen)

The Nordderby is a match between the two most successful and popular football clubs in the North of Germany. Until HSV’s relegation to the second tier in 2018, it was the Bundesliga’s most-played fixture. Bremen and Hamburg are the country’s biggest Hanseatic cities, which contributes to the rivalry. Their hatred got more intense after 1982 when a Werder Bremen fan died after he was hit by a stone thrown by HSV hooligans in the run-up to a DFB Cup match between both sides. 

Other derbies

There are many more rivalries in German football. As mentioned before, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayern Munich have shared a rivalry since the 1970s when both clubs were the best in the country (The Original Klassiker). Furthermore, there are also rivalries between 1.FC Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach (Rhine derby), Hertha BSC and Union Berlin (Berlin derby), and VfB Stuttgart and Karlsruhe (Baden-Swabia derby), among others. 

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