Italian Derbies Ranked: Which Calcio Grudge Match Tops the Lot?

Italy is home to some of the game’s fiercest derbies. From north to south, there are flames, fireworks and open hostility every time certain teams square up.

Here, we list our favourite five.

5. Derby delle Mole

The Turin derby is one of the oldest in Italy, with the first match between Juventus and Torino taking place in 1907. Named after the Mole Antonelliana, one of the city’s major landmarks and arguably the symbol of Turin, the derby has been one-sided in the past three decades, with Juventus losing only once since 1995.

However, the Derby delle Mole is still one of the most passionate rivalries in Italy. We recommend going to the Torino home fixture at the Stadio Olimpico Grande, with the Granata fans making an almighty racket, whereas Juve fans have a more laissez faire attitude towards their city cousins when they meet at the Allianz Stadium.

It props up our top five but this is still one of Italian football’s marquee matches and one every fan should go and see at least once.

4. Derby d’Italia

The only entry on the list that isn’t a geographical derby. The Derby d’Italia, christened so by the doyen of Italian football – the one and only Gianni Brera – in the 1960s, is the biggest grudge match in the country.

It was once a quiet affair, named the Derby of Italy more due to sporting success than any geographical rivalry. However, from 1998 onwards everything changed. The infamous Ronaldo-Mark Iuliano incident during a title decider in which the Juve defender body-checked the Brazilian in the box and a penalty wasn’t awarded started the bad blood.

The Calciopoli scandal and its after effects further contaminated the waters, and battles between the two sides ever since have been full of tension and occasional chaos.

The atmosphere is electric from the first minute to the last as fans in the stands witness what are often bruising encounters on the pitch. There is no love lost between Inter and Juve, and that is why it should be on your list.

3. Derby della Lanterna

This one would be higher in the standings and giving Rome and Milan a run for their money, if only it happened more often.

The Stadio Luigi Ferraris is a cacophony of noise every week, whether it is Genoa or Sampdoria in action. On derby day, that din goes stratospheric.

They haven’t played in the league since 2022 and the last meeting was a Coppa Italia clash two years ago that ended all square before Samp won on penalties.

There has been little to celebrate for the Blucerchiati since, and they do not look like escaping Serie B (at the top end) any time soon. So, it could be a while before these two share a pitch once more. But when it does happen, it is one for the bucket list.

2. Derby della Capitale

The Rome derby is often cited as one of the best in the world and it is easy to see why: the noise, colour and passion of both sets of fans really can set it apart. 

Paul Gascoigne once remarked that he was petrified of losing this game in his first season with Lazio, so high were the stakes. With both sides not always challenging for trophies, the need to beat the other twice a year becomes the only thing that matters. Bragging rights become paramount.

The derby is arguably best visited with Roma being the home side, with the Stadio Olimpico awash with red and yellow. Yet even if visited from the reverse fixture, the Derby della Capitale is always high on anyone’s wish-list.

1. Derby della Madonnina

Could it have been anything else? The Milan derby takes top spot – and by some distance.

One of the game’s greatest fixtures, it is high on everyone’s bucket list and has been since the real glory days of Italian football, decades ago. This derby has often been a showcase for the world’s best players, from Marco van Basten or Ronaldo to Andriy Shevchenko, Kaka, Christian Vieri, Roberto Baggio and every superstar in between.

This is a fixture that was, as recently as 2023 a Champions League semi-final, and in that same competition in 2005, produced one of the most striking images in sport – Inter defender Marco Materazzi leaning on the shoulder of Milan’s Rui Costa as they watched chaos unfold in the stands of San Siro.

It is a stadium that remains, despite the passage of time, one of the greatest on the planet and, with a new ground on the horizon, time is running out to see the derby here before the bulldozers arrive.

So, what are you waiting for?