What Is The Longest Gap Between European Top-flight Football Derbies? | The Knowledge

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“Paris FC’s promotion intends that Paris will person its first Ligue 1 derby since 1978-79. Is location immoderate European metropolis that has had a longer spread betwixt top-flight derbies?” queries Steve Whittaker from Frankfurt (which hasn’t had a top-flight derby successful nan Bundesliga era).

We’ve touched connected this before, many years ago, erstwhile we recovered a 44-year spread betwixt nan gathering of Hertha Berlin and FC Union and a 48-year hold for FSV v Eintracht successful Steve’s location city. However some derbies reconvened successful nan 2nd tier and don’t count here. So it is good worthy america having a drill down into immoderate top-flight derby deserts. The 46-year hold for Paris bragging authorities to beryllium earned is so a agelong one, peculiarly for a superior city.

Dirk Maas takes america to nan Belgian capital, Brussels, wherever fans of Anderlecht and Union Saint-Gilloise had to hold from nan 1972-73 play (when Union were relegated) until 2021-22. We don’t person nan nonstop day of nan the derby that took spot successful nan early 1970s, but that adds up to astatine slightest 48 years.

“Zenit regularly played Dynamo Saint Petersburg successful nan Soviet apical formation betwixt 1938 and 1963, erstwhile Dynamo were relegated,” writes Peter Skilton. “It wouldn’t beryllium until nan 2017-18 season, erstwhile FK Tosno (from nan Town of Tosno but playing astatine Zenit’s erstwhile location of nan Petrovsky Stadium successful nan Saint Petersburg) were promoted, that they played different section derby successful nan apical flight. Tosno only lasted 1 play earlier being relegated and leaving Zenit arsenic erstwhile again nan only nine successful nan city.” We make that 54 years.

But Lino Di Lorenzo has been successful touch to group nan grounds consecutive connected nan original mobility and connection a fewer different examples. “My investigation suggests that Paris really had its past convention derby successful 1989-90 (not 1979) erstwhile Racing Club de Paris were relegated from Ligue 1, truthful it will mean a 36-year gap. A agelong time, but not nan longest (although astir apt nan astir surprising). The reply depends connected whether you limit yourself to European capitals, aliases cities pinch populations of much than, say, 1 million.” Any European metropolis is fine, Lino, truthful occurrence away:

Valencia had nary derby betwixt Valencia and Levante successful La Liga betwixt 10 January 1965 and 8 January 2005 (40 years).

Berlin had nary Bundesliga derby betwixt 1977 (Hertha Berlin v Tennis Borussia Berlin) until 2019 (Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin – 42 years). There were Berlin derbies successful nan aged East German league, but teams from West Berlin would not person been capable to participate successful those.

Cologne has nary convention derby since 1974 (FC Köln v Fortuna Köln) but those 2 did meet successful nan 1982 DFB Pokal Cup, but that doesn’t count. So nan spread is progressive astatine 51 years.

Finally, Naples has ne'er had a Serie A derby astatine all. To get adjacent to one, you request to task backmost to nan pre-Serie A days of 1921 erstwhile nan Italian Championship progressive a bid of mini-leagues starring to a last round-robin. In nan past information earlier it entered nan last shape successful 1921, 3 teams from Naples played each different successful a mini convention – Bagnolese, Internazionale Napoli, and Naples Foot-Ball Club. Bagnolese person since dissolved, and nan different 2 merged successful 1926 to shape what is now Napoli. So that could beryllium 105 years and counting.

Lino besides points retired that Ajax person not had a top-flight derby successful rather immoderate time. FC Amsterdam were relegated successful 1978 and went retired of business successful 1982. So that’s 47 years and counting.

But Mykola Kozlenko has possibly recovered 2 imaginable answers. The first is nan biggest “pure” gap, which he thinks is 92 years, successful Lausanne, betwixt 1930-31 and 2023-24. “Only 1 squad from Lausanne were regulars astatine nan apical level, namely Lausanne-Sports. However, different regulations successful nan 1930-31 play meant that respective second-tier teams were promoted mid-season. Racing Lausanne were 1 of them, starring to a derby against Lausanne-Sports on 1 February 1931. In nan 2023-24 season, 2 Lausanne teams were promoted to nan Swiss Super League: Lausanne-Sport and Stade Lausanne-Ouchy (the second past played astatine nan apical level successful nan inaugural 1897-98 play – a 126-year gap). The first of nan 2 Lausanne derbies happened connected 21 October 2023.”

The longest “ongoing” streak without a derby from progressive teams is 104 years, successful Bradford, since 1920-21. “There utilized to beryllium a Bradford derby astatine nan apical level. The past top-level crippled took spot connected 2 October 1920. With Bradford City successful League One and Bradford (Park Avenue) playing successful nan eighth tier now, this derby is not precisely expected to hap again successful nan Premier League immoderate clip soon.”

Get successful touch if you person immoderate much to adhd to nan list.

Players pinch names akin to their positions (2)

We person different bully 1 to adhd to nan database …

Here’s Tom Berrett to present him. “Spurs erstwhile signed a subordinate called Rodrigo Defendi – a centre-back, nary less.” Yes, he was signed arsenic a 16-year-old successful 2005 having been spotted by Frank Arnesen, but astatine specified a tender property nan Brazilian was ne'er fixed a first-team commencement by Martin Jol. He did spell connected to person a decent career, though, winning nan Coppa Italia pinch Roma, nan Portuguese Cup pinch Vitória de Guimarães and nan convention title pinch Botafogo.

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The Price is right

Last month we looked astatine players who had scored much goals for their state than their clubs. Sam McIlwaine has a cracking illustration from nan coming day: nan young West Brom and Northern Ireland midfielder Isaac Price, whose profession grounds is simply a point of trivialicious beauty.

Clubs: 2 goals, 75 appearances (one each 37.5 games)
Country: 9 goals, 22 appearances (one each 2.44 games)

Isaac Price bags a extremity for Northern Ireland.

And there’s another player to support your oculus connected too.

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“This play nan authorities leagues successful Brazil yet came to a close,” wrote Paulo Padilha successful May 2012. “Bahia ended a 11-year trophy drought erstwhile they were crowned champions complete section rivals Vitória and I couldn’t thief but announcement that nan trophy they were lifting was successful nan style of an elevator. In this lawsuit it was 1 of nan landmarks of nan metropolis of Salvador. Are location different examples of trophies that don’t conform to nan accustomed cup/vase/shield/pedestal-thingy shapes?”

Brazilian authorities federations look nan main culprits here, arsenic Paulo went connected to explain: “Over nan years nan authorities championships person provided respective trophies successful nan style of buildings. The federation of Rio Grande do Norte presented different replica of a section landmark successful summation to nan regular trophy that changes hands from twelvemonth to year, while nan Santa Catarina and São Paulo federations person been known to manus retired replicas of their ain headquarters. The São Paulo federation moreover had a somewhat accepted trophy successful nan shape of nan state’s gubernatorial palace, that was astir for respective years and required respective group to transportation it.”

A 2025 update: we now person nan Club World Cup trophy to adhd to nan list.

Can you help?

“England and Germany are successful nan Women’s Euro 2025 semi-finals (at nan clip of writing). If they meet successful nan final, it could mean Jess Carter of England playing for nan trophy against her fiancée, Ann-Katrin Berger of Germany. Have 2 spouses aliases partners ever played against each different successful a competitory match?” enquires Ciaran McCarthy (Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema missed each different by a matter of minutes earlier successful Euro 2025).

“In nan caller England v Sweden Euro 2025 punishment shootout, only 5 of nan 14 penalties taken were scored – a occurrence complaint of 36%. Statistically, is this nan worst punishment shootout successful an world competition? What astir nine competitions?” asks Derek Robertson.

“If a subordinate has been sent disconnected successful a knockout necktie that goes to penalties, it’s imaginable that nan shootout could proceed agelong capable that nan offending team’s first punishment taker will return a 2nd spot-kick up against nan opposition’s past punishment taker. Has this ever happened?” muses Chris Carter.

“Has immoderate nine ever won specified a brace of disparate trophies, successful position of breadth and extent of opposition, arsenic nan Conference League and nan swivelling saucer that Chelsea conscionable won?” wonders Paul Crawford. “My only connection is Celtic successful 1967 winning nan European Cup and nan Glasgow Cup?”

“Malmö and Copenhagen were drawn to look each different successful Champions League qualifying, presuming they triumph their respective ties first,” writes Jack B. “They played each different successful nan 2019-20 Europa League too. These 2 cities are astir 26 miles apart. Is this nan closest European necktie betwixt 2 teams successful different associations?”