For football fans, there is nothing better than derby day.
Whether it’s a rivalry based on the success of your clubs or the location of the two sides, the buzz in the air and the atmosphere in the ground when these teams collide with each other makes everyone love football.
But which disruptions across Europe are the best? Here are the top ten – ranked.
Ajax vs Feyenoord is one of the biggest games in Holland | Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images
‘De Klassieker’ is the biggest derby in Dutch football, competing between Ajax and Feyenoord.
Two of the three most successful clubs in the Netherlands, the rivalry goes beyond football with fans colliding from the pitch several times over the years. These battles often spread across the pitch as well, where Ajax tend to come out on top more often than not – but the passion and hatred between the fans makes this a spectacle every time they meet.
Derby in north London is one of the most electric in England Ben Radford / Getty Images
The derby in north London between Arsenal and Tottenham is without a doubt the most entertaining in England, and that is because more goals are scored in this game than anyone else in the country. Simple.
Arsenal have historically prevailed and have twice won the league on Spurs’ ground, although Tottenham have narrowed the gap in recent years by finishing over the Gunners in the league.
The two most successful teams in Portugal have a fierce rivalry Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
‘O Classico’ is Portugal’s biggest game, played between their two most successful teams.
Between them, Porto and Benfica have won seven European trophies, plus a total of 66 national league championships.
Whenever the two sides meet, there tends to be some kind of title consequence and it almost always lives up to expectations – with only 17 0-0 draws in 246 meetings between the teams.
The Italian capital is home to two major football clubs New Press / Getty Images
Derby della Capitale is the toughest rivalry in Italy, played out between two teams that just really hate each other.
Roma – Lazio is without a doubt the most heated derby in all of Italy, with the two sides regularly playing bad games at the Stadio Olimpico.
England’s two most successful sides are bitter enemies | Michael Regan / Getty Images
The Northwest Derby is England’s biggest derby between the two most successful clubs in the country.
Manchester United and Liverpool have won a total of 39 league titles and nine Champions League titles and often compete against each other at the top end of the league each season.
Derby in Milan is one of the most famous in football | Marco Luzzani / Getty Images
Notoriously two of the most successful teams in Italy, the two giants in Milan have recently revived their rivalry after a few years of mediocrity.
If you think about the best Italian players ever, the probability is that they played for one of AC Milan or Internazionale.
An incredibly intense rivalry between two sides in Serbia Nikola Krstic / MB Media / Getty Images
When a derby is called ‘The Eternal Derby’, you know it’s good.
Local pride is always at stake when Red Star and Partizan meet, with fans showing up with thousands of spots and drums to scare the opposition as much as possible.
They are the two most successful clubs in Serbia, with Red Star winning a record 31 league titles ahead of Partizan’s 27.
Two of four teams in the Turkish capital OZAN KOSE / Getty Images
Istanbul is a lot like London in the sense that it has many great teams playing there – but there are two that stand out more than any other.
Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the two most successful teams in Turkey, and as such bloody hate each other.
The hatred is true and extends deep through football and into society, giving one of the most passionate derbies in football.
This rivalry goes beyond football Mark Runnacles / Getty Images
Little old Scotland hosts one of the biggest derbies in all of football.
The two biggest teams in the country are both based in Glasgow but the rivalry goes much deeper than just locality, as the two fan bases are usually in conflict over politics and religion.
The greatest rivalry in Europe, at a distance | David Ramos / Getty Images
Of course, El Clasico is at the top of the list. It is the derby game between two biggest football teams in the world.
The game has regularly named the best players in the world against each other with Champions Leagues, La Liga and Copa del Rey titles on the line.
It is fiery, passionate, high quality and, by far, the best derby in Europe.
