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 8 Greatest European Rivalries

Here's a look at the greatest European football rivalries:

Germany vs Italy

This match makes the list not for any fan clashes but simply for the matches between them and the trophies they have lifted.  These are Europe's two most successful nations in world football having each won four World Cups and making fourteen final appearances between them.  Germany also have three European Championships to Italy's one, and their games are invariably heavily followed at http://leovegassports.com/sportsbook/ and other bookmakers.

These two have produced a good, healthy football rivalry. The 1970 World Cup semi-final between them is often referred to as the "Game of the Century" while the 2006 World Cup semi-final is considered another great game.

England v Scotland

The oldest international fixture in football, played more than 100 times, England and Scotland’s rivalry matters a great deal to the supporters. These two sides used to meet regularly until the Home Championship was abolished after a century in 1984.

Scotland's failure to qualify for any major international tournament this millennium has seen the rivalry calm down a little but when they used to meet it used to involve lots of anti-England and anti-Scotland chants as well as brawling among fans outside the stadium.

Germany vs Netherlands

The rivalry between Germany and the Netherlands goes beyond football and all the way back to the Second World War.  Former Dutch international Will van Hanagem once said about the 1974 World Cup final between them:

"I didn't give a damn about the score. 1-0 was enough, as long as we could humiliate them. I don't like them.  They murdered my family. My father, my brother and several family members. Each time I faced Germany, I was angst-filled."

It all went wrong for the Netherlands as West Germany came from behind to win 2-1.   The Dutch wouldn't beat their rivals until 14 years later at Euro 88, eliminating West Germany in the semi-finals.  After the game, Ronald Koeman was photographed wiping his backside with Olaf Thon's shirt after the players had exchanged shirts.

Another memorable meeting between the two teams occurred at the 1990 World Cup when West Germany again ended the Netherlands' dreams of becoming world champions during an encounter that served up several unsavoury incidents.  Rudi Voller dived over a challenge from Frank Rijkaard, fooling the referee to give the Dutchman a yellow card.  He consequently spat at Voller and was dismissed, while the victim was also sent off. The Netherlands defender repeated his disgusting act as the pair jogged off the field.

Croatia vs Serbia

The rivalry between these two nations goes back to before they were even independent nations.  It became especially famous to the world in the early 1990s, starting with the historic Dinamo Zagreb versus Red Star Belgrade riot, which emphasised in some peoples' eyes as the breakup of Yugoslavia.  It included Zvonomir Boban kicking a police officer and was subsequently banned by the Yugoslavia national team for the 1990 World Cup.

When these two were drawn against each other in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, the football federations of Croatia and Serbia agreed to ban away fans from the two games because of security fears.

Serbia v Albania

The history between Serbia and Albania is long and complex, but UEFA didn’t deem the rivalry to be dangerous enough to keep the two apart as they had for Spain and Gibraltar in the qualification campaign for Euro 2016.  As a result, when these two met in October 2014 chaos descended after a drone carrying the flag of 'Greater Albania' was flown into the Partizan Stadium, Belgrade.

Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic ripped the flag down and was then confronted upon by Albanian players hotly seeking to retrieve their national symbol. Scenes of violence followed which included a fan who attacked Albania's Bekim Balaj with a chair as he carried the flag towards the away dugout, another supporter attempted to kick one Albanian player in the head as the team fled down the tunnel never to return, as the game was abandoned.

France vs Italy

Two of the great European footballing nations have an intriguing rivalry. Italy dominated this fixture up until 1982, losing only three times in 26 matches versus the French. Between 1982 and 2008, however, France remained unbeaten in 90 minutes against the Italians.

The most famous clash was the 2006 World Cup final, remembered for Zinedine Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi after a comment that is still debated about to this day.

Republic of Ireland vs Northern Ireland

The rivalry between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland has a long history, seated in sectarian tensions and the history of Irish partition. It is not as simple as Catholic versus Protestant as it also encompasses about identity and nationality in modern Ireland.

These two turned up the heat in November 1993 when they met in a decisive World Cup qualification match at Windsor Park., Northern Ireland Jack Charlton's Republic of Ireland needed a result to book their place at USA 94 whilst Northern Ireland were already out of contention. Yet, the prospect of knocking out their not-so-friendly neighbours was enough motivation.  Police swarmed around Windsor Park that evening. The Republic of Ireland team were virtually cordoned off in their hotel for their own safety before the match. Inside the stadium the atmosphere reached fever pitch.

England v Germany

This rivalry is predominantly an English phenomenon dating back to the Second World War.  England have largely been the instigators of scuffles outside the stadium, notably at Euro 96.  That was 30 years after the first competitive game between the teams which was the 1966 World Cup final. England were 4-2 winners that day but Germany have largely had the better of the battles since.

Germany don't see England as much of a rival but have eliminated them from the 1970 World Cup, Italia 90, Euro 96 and the 2010 World Cup.
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