Day 8 – Rivalries

Topic Point: Rivalries in soccer have a few layers. The history of fan violence,and even on-field hostility, is noteworthy though beyond the scope of thismanual. The problem has been tempered over time with a strong movement againsthooliganism, along with improved rules and officiating that prioritize playersafety and good sportsmanship. That is not to imply that the passion of fans isless, or that players don’t sometimes have compromised judgement. Moreapplicable, though, is the existence of two networks of rivalries. There is professionalclub soccer within which fans demonstrate a loyal following. Then there isnational team soccer as we see in the World Cup, World Cup qualifying, andvarious international tournaments. The fans are equally loyal and passionate,with potential political and sociological influence and implications.

Ted Lasso: InEngland, there are some notable rivalries that develop geographically andthrough competition for championships. From a geographical perspective, the neighborhoodwithin London that is Richmond (such as Wrigleyville in Chicago or the Bronx inNew York) borders on another district within London called Brentford. The teamsof these two boroughs become rivals due to their proximity. While AFC Richmondis a fictitious soccer team within a real area of London called Richmond, if therewas a club, they certainly would be rivals with Brentford (which is a real clubin the EPL). The match will be dubbed a “West London Derby” whenever they play.[1]This occurs in S2E12.

Soccer-related note: There are many Derbies within England including a Manchester Derby(Manchester City and Manchester United - five miles apart), Liverpool Derby(Liverpool and Everton - two miles apart), North London Derby (Arsenal andTottenham - five miles apart), South London (any two of five clubs: CrystalPalace, Millwall, Bromley, Charlton Athletic, and AFC Wimbledon though onlyCrystal Palace is in the EPL currently), and the “true” West London Derby(Fulham and Chelsea - two miles apart, though now Brentford is included in thisregional rivalry).

The top clubs within a league also developa rivalry since they are commonly competing for championships (league, domesticcup, continental cup). Notable English teams include Manchester United,Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham (though some are morerelevant due to history compared to current success). In Spain, Real Madrid vsBarcelona is known as “El Clasico”.

At the international level, somesignificant rivalries exist. Initially, they developed regionally andgeopolitically in addition to global and regional bragging rights. Brazil/Argentina,England/France, Brazil or Argentina vs Uruguay are a few. Over time, somerepetitive match-ups developed. The previous match served as fuel forrematches. Germany/Argentina, England/Argentina, Brazil/Sweden are a fewrivalries that developed because of World Cup play.

·     Germany and Argentina have metseven times in the World Cup including three finals (1986, 1990, 2014) and twoquarterfinals (2006, 2010)

·     Brazil and Sweden have metseven times with Brazil never losing (5 wins, 2 draws). The meetings include a3^rd place match (1938), championship bracket (1950), final (1958with Sweden as the host)), and a semi-final (1994).

·     Argentina and England have metfive times including including two quarter-final matches and a Round of 16. The1986 quarter-final match is known as the “Hand of God” match, where Argentinianlegend Diego Maradona scored a goal on an obvious handball which the refereeand assistant referee both missed. Maradona referred to his goal as the “Handof God”, adding fuel to the rivalry.

American Sports comparison: We have collegiate and professional rivalries based on bothgeography and historical competition (the latter typically throughchampionships). Some regional rivalries include University of Georgia andAuburn University; New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; Chicago Bears and GreenBay Packers (and these rivalries become more intense when both teams are doingwell and competing for a title). Some are based on longevity in history(Bears/Packers; Harvard/Yale). And of course, there are rivalries based oncompeting for championships (Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers; New YorkYankees and Los Angeles Dodgers; New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox forAmerican League pennant).

The club soccer rivalries are comparable tothe college and professional rivalries for us in the United States. However,London has seven teams in the English Premier League, alone. Imagine eachborough of New York having an NFL team, in addition to East Rutherford, NJwhere both the Giants and the Jets play. It’s difficult to compare NationalTeam soccer rivalries to anything we have in the United States; the primaryinternational rivalries are in soccer and ice hockey which receive lessattention.[2]The interval of time between international soccer competitions, coupled withthe magnitude of the stage (continental or world), tends to create a level ofexcitement that is far greater than what we experience with even the mostanticipated domestic American competitions. The Olympics, with its fanfare andwidespread representation, also has a different vibe compared to National Teamsoccer. The number of sports and number of events in the Olympics spreads thefocus of each country’s fans thereby reducing the intensity and scrutiny overany one sport.

[1] Some suggest that Brentford FC is the real-life AFC Richmond. Theirhistory and underdog status is similar to the role AFC Richmond plays in TedLasso.

[2] On the radio show Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPNradio (date unknown – personal experience), an upcoming Mexico vs. UnitedStates match was mentioned. The intensity of the rivalry was noted, and thematch was to be played in Mexico City where the United States currently hold a 1W-24L-4Drecord. The comment was made that to call the USA-Mexico contest a rivalry wasridiculous due to the Americans dismal away record. However, the point wasmissed by the presumably well-intentioned commenter. A rivalry is not simplybased on equal competition. Multiple factors can play into the development of arivalry. One could argue that the University of Kentucky/Duke Men’s Basketballrivalry exists because of one game – the 1992 regional championship. A ChicagoBears/Green Bay Packers game does not weaken in intensity due to one team’spoor performance during a particular season.

Interactive: View the infamous "Hand of God" goal by Diego Maradona (#10 - blue) against England in the 1986 World Cup hosted by Mexico. You can also note two other things in this video. First, while he is offside when the ball is "passed", it is kicked by the England defensman and not Maradona's Argentina teammate. Second, after the ball goes in, Maradona is looking around to see if the referee is going to call the foul.

His celebration of the goal starts off with uncertainty!

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Map of England Derbies

Manchester City (Etihad Stadium) – Manchester United (Old Trafford)

Liverpool (Anfield) – Everton (old – Goodison Park; current – Hill Dickinson)

Arsenal (Emirates Stadium) – Tottenham (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)

Fulham (Craven Cottage) -Chelsea (Stamford Bridge) -Brentford (G-tech Community Stadium)

Map of United States traditional rivalries

Chicago (Soldier Field) – Green Bay (Lambeau Field)

University of Georgia (Sanford Stadium) – Auburn University (Jordan-Hare Stadium)

Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park) – New York Yankees (Yankee Stadium)

New York Giants (MetLife Stadium) – Philadelphia Eagles (Lincoln Financial Field)

The image below (source: https://www.zeemaps.com/world-of-maps/premier-league-map-2025-2026/) shows the 6 EPL clubs that are based in London: Arsenal, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Chelsea, and Brentford). The record for London-based clubs that have been in the EPL in the same season is 7; the number of London-based clubs that have been in the EPL at some point is 11 (since the EPL became the official Tier 1 name in 1992). On the link above, you can also see the full map of England and EPL clubs.

As impressive as London is in terms of being the home for professional clubs, and specifically 6-7 tier 1 clubs, the city that has the most Tier 1 soccer teams is Buenos Aires, Argentina (Fifteen!)

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