The Top 20 Derbies in Europe

Causing a bit of a stir at http://footballspeak.com/post/2012/01/27/The-Top-20-Derbies-In-Europe.aspx

Each year when the fixtures for the forthcoming league campaign are announced, fans skim through searching for the date when they are to meet their most fierce rivals.

Derbies are the most anticipated and often controversial clashes of the season and regularly see tempers boil over, both on the pitch and in the stands.

Derbies exist because of a number of factors. Geographical rivalries are the most frequent reason for a derby, what better feeling is their than going into work on a Monday morning having seen your side secure local bragging rights that weekend and subsequently rubbing salt into the wounds of your rival-supporting work-mates.

As much as pundits like to distance football and politics, the two often go hand in hand and create some of the most intriguing derbies in the world today. With a mutual difference already established in the views of both the club and the fans, differences soon spill into hatred when these teams clash.

Success can also be a major catalyst for hatred in the derby world. If two teams compete for the same title year-in, year-out, then surely that is a good a reason as any to despise a rival team?

I have examined a number of derbies in Europe and have attempted to give a countdown to the most explosive clashes in Europe.

20. CSKA Sofia v Levski Sofia

The battle of the Bulgarian capital sees the countries two most successful sides go head-to-head. CSKA were originally the team of the Bulgarian army and were often viewed favourably by the Communist authorities. Levski, on the other hand, historically draw most of their support from the working class. These fanatical guidelines are no longer particularly accurate, however the hatred and animosity hasn’t altered.

Clashes between these two often spill into violence, with the 1985 cup final between the two sides ending in a mass brawl, because of which many players received lengthy bans.

The violence hasn’t always ended on the pitch however; in 2001 a fan was left dead after clashes between the two sets of supporters.

19. Basle v Zurich

Although separated by a train journey of around 90 minutes, the clash between Basle and FC Zurich has seen numerous incidents of crowd violence in recent years. These two clubs hate each other for seemingly no other reason than the fact that they have both been fighting it out for the Swiss league crown in recent years.

Basle’s hatred used to be reserved for FC Zurich’s city rivals Grasshoppers, but as Grasshoppers have faded as a force, FC Zurich has eclipsed them as the main object of Basle fans hate.

No other club has won the Swiss Super league since 2004 and in 2006 on the last day of the season, all hell broke loose. The two teams met at St Jakob Park, the home of FC Basle, with Basle only needing a draw to secure the title and the visitors needing a win. The score remained 1-1 with the clock ticking down. Just as Basle’s subs and coaching staff gathered on the touchline ready to invade the pitch in celebration, FC Zurich notched an injury time winner securing them the title. Basle fans then invaded the pitch attacking FC Zurich players and were forced to play their first three home games of the following season behind closed doors.

18. Betis v Sevilla

Perhaps the most fierce local derby in Spain. Although both teams have only won La Liga only once, this derby has been controversially ferocious since the teams first met in 1915.

Sevilla’s Sanchez Pizjuan ground is situated in the well-off commercial district of Nervion whereas Betis are based in the working-class Heliopolis.

Unlike rivals such as Lazio and Roma, these two clubs could not even bare to share a stadium and as a result the Olympic stadium in the city stands unused for much of the year.

Sevilla FC were founded in 1905 by employees from the nearby Rio Tinto mines and after a disagreement amongst members, a revolt saw the formation of Betis. Betis then merged with another club, Sevilla Balompie in 1914, just in time for the first Seville derby in 1915.

17. Benfica v Porto

A Portuguese saying reads “Lisbon shows off while Porto works”. The common conception is that Porto come from the hard-working Northern Port of the same name, whereas Benfica represent the cultured and laid-back capital.

These two clubs have the two largest stadiums in the country, the highest average attendances and the most titles between them, with Porto having lifted the trophy 25 times and Benfica 32 times.

Benfica were the dominant force in Portugal in the 1960s and 70s and only since have Porto challenged that status. The clash between these two is often billed as the battle of the traditional strong force and the new order.

16. Spartak Moscow v CSKA Moscow

Despite there being numerous other clubs doing battle in the Russian capital, the clash between Spartak and CSKA has become the prominent rivalry over recent years.

During the communist reign CSKA were traditionally viewed as the team of the railway workers, and at the time enjoyed their most fierce rivalry with Dinamo Moscow, the team of the KGB. Spartak, the country’s most successful club, steered clear of state intervention and were primarily funded by a food production group.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, CSKA have emerged as Spartak’s main city rival. They now have their own ground and some serious investment has seen them win the league in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and the UEFA cup in 2005.

CSKA also have an extreme right-wing following and fans of these two have often taken the fight away from the stadium to various locations across the city.

15. Tenerife v Las Palmas

With every away trip involving a flight to the mainland, the clash between Tenerife and Las Palmas must be classified as one of the most localised derbies in Europe.

The Canary Islands are situated just off Morocco meaning these two clock up more air miles than your average club during the course of the season.

Tenerife represent the island of the same name, whereas Las Palmas are from neighbouring Gran Canaria and when these two meet the affair is as passionate as anything else on offer around Europe.

Derby day sees fans make the short hop across the water to see the sides do battle.
Both sides have made sporadic appearances in the top-flight, but it is the Second Division where they primarily do battle.

Match day at Tenerife’s Helidoro stadium sees various acts of provocation aimed at riling the Las Palmas fans. Stuffed canaries (canaries being the symbol of Gran Canaria and Las Palmas) are hung from lampposts and attached to firecrackers in an attempt to goad their rivals as sides go head to head to determine who is crowned as ‘the kings of the Canaries’.

14. Wisla Krakow v Cracovia

Krakow is well renowned as being the most beautiful and cultured city in Poland, having remained relatively untouched throughout much of Poland’s turbulent history.

However beauty is far from prevalent when the city’s top two clubs do battle in what is one of the most violent derby days in Europe and dubbed as ‘the Holy War’.

Wisla Krakow eclipse their city rivals Cracovia in terms of success, with Wisla having lifted the Polish title 14 times and often featuring in European competition. Cracovia operate on a far smaller budget and have been crowned champions five times, the most recent occasion way back in 1948.

Derby day tension is evident days and even weeks before kick-off as groups of fans from both teams patrol the city looking for fans representing their rivals. They then steel any club-related merchandise and proceed to set light to it on derby day in the ultimate act of provocation.

13. Ferencvaros v Ujpest

With Hungarian football in poor general health, the clash between Ferencvaros and Ujpest is one of the only events that can guarantee a big crowd and a lively atmosphere.

Both clubs hail from Budapest and are named after the respective districts in which they are based.

Ferencvaros, known affectionately as ‘Fradi’, are the country’s most successful team with 28 Championship wins and Ujpest have also won the title a commendable 20 times. Another Budapest side, MTK, are sandwiched between with 23 crowns.

During Communist times, Ujpest were widely regarded as the team of the police, whereas ‘Fradi’ had no links to the authorities and these political differences resulted in huge friction which often caused violence between both sets of fans.
Since the fall of communism the hatred between the two has not abated and violence at the games is still rife and has even split over to Ice Hockey games between the clubs.

12. Red Star Belgrade v Partizan Belgrade

Another fiery Eastern European affair.

Fans of these two capital city outfits fought side by side during the Yugoslav wars between 1991 and 1995, and also joined forces to help topple leader Slobadan Milosevic back in 2000.During these periods the terraces were actively used as a recruiting ground with troops drawn from both Red Star’s Delije fan group and Partizan’s Grobbari, however any camaraderie has long since evaporated and violence between the two groups is a common occurrence.

When Serbia’s most successful teams meet it is quite a spectacle. Spectacular pyrotechnics greet the arrival of the players and impressive displays of choreography add to the occasion.

Violence between the two sets of fans is not confined to match days and often occurs whenever Red Star and Partizan fans cross paths. In 2006 a street fight between younger fans of both clubs ended with a Partizan fan lying dead after being stabbed by a Red Star supporter.

11. Olympiakos v Panathinaikos

With all away fans banned from attending this fixture, it is little surprise that this derby ranks right up there with the Istanbul derby in terms of hostility and sheer animosity.

Violence between the two sets of fans is not just confined to football and fights regularly break out at any sporting fixtures between the clubs, whether it is handball, volleyball or basketball.

Derby day sees an incredible noise and piercing whistles whenever the away team are in possession.

As well as being the two most successful clubs in the history of Greek football, a historical class difference can be attributed to the hatred between the fans.

Olympiakos are based in Piraeus and traditionally attracted a following of working-class employees who worked at the port. Alternatively Panathinaikos are based in the wealthy suburb of Ambelokipi just North-West of Athens and historically gained a wealthier following.

10. Paris Saint-Germain v Marseille

Despite being separated 481 miles and this fixture having no historical context, these days this clash is comfortably the most hostile in France.

Paris St-Germain were only formed in 1970 after the merger of several smaller clubs from the capital. By this time Marseille had already won several titles and cup wins and were well established as a serious force in French football.

The hatred comes as a result of a geographical North versus South rivalry, as the provinces from the South come up against the capital from the North.

Ever since TV channel Canal Plus’ investment in 1993, the two have often come up against each other in the upper echelons of Ligue 1. Although both have often underachieved, Marseille have finished first and then second in the last two seasons and PSG’s recent takeover from the Qatar Investment Authority has catapulted them instantly to title challengers. This rivalry shows no sign of easing off.

9. Schalke v Borussia Dortmund

With both teams boasting top talent and huge attendances in the ultra-competitive Bundesliga, this Ruhr derby is always likely to be a passionate affair.

Last year’s champions Dortmund regularly fill their 80,000 capacity Westfalenstadion and around 61,000 fans flock to Schalke’s Veltins Arena to watch the likes of Raul and young starlet Julian Draxler.

Dortmund is well renowned for being the beer capital of Germany and Gelsenkirchen for its coal mining heritage.

Historically Schalke have had the upper hand winning the Ruhr derby on 55 occasions to Dortmund’s 46.

8. Lazio v Roma

An occasion synonymous with passionate support and impressive choreography, as Ultras of both clubs seize their moment in the smoke-filled Olimpico.

This fixture is frequently a scene of football’s most impressive terrace displays, as fans hold up various coloured cards and banners that can take up the hold end of the stadium.

Roma fans are typically left-wing and working class, whilst Lazio fans are usually suburban right-wingers, hence Paolo Di Canio’s controversial fascist salute after scoring in the derby in 2005.

Lazio fans frequent the Curva Nord terrace and Roma’s following traditionally occupy the Curva Sud.

Unfortunately, violence is commonplace at this fixture and is directed either between rival groups of fans or at the police.

The most notable example of violence came in 2004, when the match was forced to be abandoned when riots broke out in the stands after rumours had spread that a young boy had been killed by the police.

Although the rumour was later proven to be false, fireworks were fired between fans and at the police, leaving over 170 injured police officers alone.

7. Hajduk Split v Dinamo Zagreb

Founded in 1991 after the breakup of Yugoslavia, the Croatian League has been won by either Hajduk Split or Dinamo Zagreb on every occasion bar one, with NK Zagreb upsetting the applecart in 2002.

Dinamo Zagreb hail from the capital and seat of the countries government, a city known for dull architecture and having limited nightlife for a capital city.
Hajduk meanwhile, represent a city renowned for its beauty and culture, situated on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea.

Despite both coming from contrasting surroundings, the ‘Torcida’ followers of Hajduk and the ‘Bad Blue Boys’ of Dinamo, actually used to get on quite well with every meeting between the two a vibrant display of Croat nationalism against their Yugoslav rulers.

Since the breakup of Yugoslavia and with no subsequent league meetings with the despised Belgrade clubs, Croatia’s big two have instead directed all hatred towards each other as they fight it out for the championship on a yearly basis.

6. Ajax v Feyenoord

With the death of a fan after a motorway service station fight, fans brawling on a live TV talk show as well as clashing regularly in the stands, it comes as little wonder that all away support is banned from this fixture from 2009.

Ajax come for the cosmopolitan, glitzy Amsterdam and their supporters have little time for fans of Feyenoord, from the working class port of Rotterdam.

Feyenoord fans accuse Ajax fans of being stuck up and snotty and the culture clash doesn’t end there with Feyenoord supporters regularly mocking Ajax’s Jewish heritage. Ajax followers hit back with the term ‘cockroaches’, a term that they reserve for their most fierce rivals.

5. Liverpool v Manchester United

With both Liverpool and Manchester United having their own city derbies, this rivalry exists purely because of their status as the two most successful teams in the history of English football.

Separated by just a 45 minute drive, these North West rivals are comfortably the best supported clubs across the nation.

United’s 19th title win last season saw them finally eclipse Liverpool’s previous record haul of 18.

Liverpool picked up the majority of their title wins in the 1970s and 1980s, where they also won the European Cup on numerous occasions. United had spells of dominance in the 1960s before really clicking into gear in the 1990s and firmly establishing themselves as the contemporary force in the English game. United were the first English team to win the European cup in 1968, however Liverpool have won the competition five times to United’s three.

Sir Alex Ferguson targeted Liverpool when he took over at Manchester United, aiming to “Knock Liverpool off their f*****g perch”. It seems that at the moment he has succeeded.

4. AC Milan v Internazionale

AC Milan were formed 1899 by English immigrants; however in 1908 several members became disillusioned by the fact that the club was exclusively for English members and broke away to form a club of their own with the obvious name of Internazionale.

Since then both teams have been hugely successful in both Europe and domestically and regularly find themselves fighting it out for both honours.

AC Milan are traditionally the outfit with the larger base of working-class supporters but the rivalry is defined by successes, with AC Milan last season ending Inter’s run of five successive titles.

Both teams share the steep-sided San Siro stadium and derby day often features incredible choreography and displays for the ultras of both sides.

3. Fenerbache v Galatasary

No other derby can in any way rival the clash between Fenerbache and Galatasary in terms of sheers noise and intensity.

Not a game for the faint-hearted or casual supporter, derby day in Istanbul hosts one of the most intimidating atmospheres as the crowd never ceases with ritual chanting and constant drumming.

What also makes this derby unique is the fact that these two city rivals are both situated on different continents.

Galatasary are based on the European side of the Bosphorus River and attract a more middle-class support. Fenerbache meanwhile, sit on the Asian side and are the team of the people and the best supported team in Turkey.

Fenerbache are narrowly the most successful team in the country, boasting 18 league titles. Galatasary sit just behind with 17 triumphs.

One notable derby day flashpoint came when then Galatasary boss Graeme Souness planted a Gala flag in the centre of Fenerbache’s Sukru Saracoglu stadium, after seeing his side triumph in the 1996 Turkish Cup Final over their great rivals. A riot was narrowly averted and Souness has yet to return to the scene of the crime.

2. Rangers v Celtic

The Old Firm can meet as many times as six times in one season in both league and cup, this however does not in any way dilute proceedings when the two meet.

The Glasgow giants enjoy an unprecedented level of dominance within Scottish football. Rangers have won the championship a record 54 times, Celtic 42 times and to put it into perspective the next in line is Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs with four wins.

This clash pretty much always has a great deal of bearing when it comes to the handing out of silverware, as well as the importance of local bragging rights.

Unfortunately, this clash is synonymous with Northern Irish sectarian politics.

Celtic’s roots originate with the Irish immigrant community and as a result still attract a predominantly Catholic following. Rangers alternatively, are traditionally followed by a Protestant core of support and this adds further spice to this rivalry.

Initially the squad lists of the clubs adhered to the religious boundaries of their support until practicing Catholic Mo Johnston joined Rangers in 1989.

On several occasions the clubs have been fined by the authorities for sectarian chanting during games.

1. Barcelona v Real Madrid

Without a doubt the biggest game in world football, “El Clasico” is a battle in contrasting styles, contrasting philosophies, and contrasting politics.

More an international game than a domestic one, the clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid is a battle between the state and the nation.

Barcelona are the showpiece of the Catalan region, a region which claims to have suffered repression at the hands of their Spanish rulers and often make noises in favour of independence.

Bobby Robson famously once said of the game: “I felt like I was leading the Catalan army into battle”.

Nobody represents Spanish rule better than Real Madrid, the team supported by former ruler General Franco. During Franco’s reign Madrid were believed to enjoy subsequent investment and favourable refereeing decisions.

The visit of Real was formerly seen as the Catalan’s opportunity to vent their anger at the authorities.

Although politics and the ideological differences of the two clubs are still important, another currency places huge importance on “El Clasico”, trophies.

Real and Barcelona currently dominate La Liga as a result of being able to negotiate their own television deals, leaving them head and shoulders above the rest of the field in terms of investment.

Players of these two teams account for the majority of the Spanish national team and it is also widely believed that they also boast the two best players in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, although the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta at the least deserve honourable mentions.

The current Barcelona side is believed to be one of the best of all time with their beautiful brand of ‘tiki-taka’ passing football.

Real Madrid under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho do not play in quite the manner, however they currently just lead their great rivals in the La Liga table with one ‘Clasico’ to play.

Barcelona do appear to have the edge in games between the two, having already beating Real in the league and cup this season.

When Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in the Camp Nou in April, it could possibly be the most important yet.

Just want to quickly link a fantastic website I found that shows a visual catalogue of some of the world's most stunning locations, courtesy of some stunning photography.

Maybe one day, with a bit of Photoshop practice, my images might also feature on this site!

http://beautifulplacestovisit.com/category/cities/

Enjoy.

2012

Apologies for the lack of updates over recent months.
The hectic Christmas period has prevented me from cracking on with any articles lately, in fact it has prohibiting me from posting at all.
I hope you all had an enjoyable festive period and are now proceeding successfully with all kinds of new years resolutions.

2012 is set to be a monumental year in my life. Hopefully it will be a year where I am able to find a job more specific to my journalistic aspirations, one which offers stability and prosperity in the long term.

I hope 2012 allows me to be able to continue to travel to some of the world's most fascinating places. Already lined up is a trip to the Catalan capital of Barcelona where I will also be visiting the magnificent Camp Nou to watch Messi and co in action. I vow to take many photographs as I have done on my previous jaunts away from these shores to add to my photographic portfolio.

Also in the pipeline is an epic looking stag-do, unfortunatly I can't divulge much information on here in case the stags happen to stumble across it and I would hate to be the one responsible for ruining the surpirse!

Thailand has also been discussed with friends, a trip that if it did come to fruition, would be a massive cultural eye-opener.

2012 will no doubt also be a massive year in the world of football and with Euro 2012 just around the corner, hopefully I will be able to bring more analysis on the footballing topics away from the popular gaze.

Happy new year!

How the Premier League is signalling a slow death for the Eastern European game

http://www.footballspeak.com/post/2011/11/16/How-the-Premier-League-is-signalling-a-slow-death-for-the-Easter.aspx

As I exited the Hradcanska metro station and began to walk down the long street named M.Horakove, I was immediately struck by the little amount of people hovering around the area.

Admittedly I had arrived at the Stadium Letna around an hour and a half before the game was due to start, but even at Home Park, home of my beloved Plymouth Argyle, if you were to arrive around the same time then there would be more of a clear indication that a game was about to take place.

Stadium Letna is home to Sparta Prague, the most successful and richest club in the Czech Republic and a club who boasts a record eleven league titles since the foundation of the Gambrinus Liga in 1993.

Sparta also reached the semi finals of the European Cup in 1992 and have reared such talents as Pavel Nedved, Tomas Rosicky, Patrik Berger and Petr Cech.

I took the decision to watch Sparta during a recent ‘lads holiday’ to Prague in an attempt to break up the drinking which consumed much of our four days in the absolutely beautiful Czech capital.

Zelezna Sparta (Iron Sparta) were to host Mlada Boleslav with Sparta currently topping the table as they looked to regain the title wrestled from their grasp by Viktoria Plzen the previous season.

Unfortunately for Sparta I proved once more to be a jinx, a running theme over my recent visits to various stadiums as I can’t actually remember the last time that I have actually seen a home side emerge victorious.

Mlada Boleslav emerged with a shock 3-0 away victory, inspired by their visibly overweight but technically outstanding skipper, the former Czech international Marek Kulic.

The Stadium Letna has a capacity of 21,000 but the official attendance of the game was given as 7,307 and it actually seemed a lot less with empty seats all around what is actually a smart and modern looking stadium.

Those that did part with the bargain admission fee (around £6) were undoubtedly passionate, especially the ultras who tucked themselves away in one of the lower tier corners behind the goal and generated a constant noise throughout.

I left wondering whether or not this had always been the case in Czech football and came to the mini-conclusion that before the break up of Czechoslovakia and the rise to prominence of the Premier League it had in fact, probably not been the case at all.

As I made my way back to the bustling bars of Wenceslas Square to meet my friends and return to the drinking in hand, the metaphorical penny dropped.

Every bar we visited, from Hooters to backstreet local bars, displayed games from the Premier League, La Liga or the Bundesliga rather than the Czech leagues which take a quiet backseat.

Sparta’s prized asset is 19 year-old striker Vaclav Kadlec who has been heralded as a potential star of the future. Yet the question on the lips of Sparta fans is when and not if he will leave for pastures new.

With Europe’s big hitters enjoying ever greater spoils of TV money and sponsorship contracts, the gulf between the rich and the poor of European club football is widening.

Strolling through the Prague’s quaint cobbled streets there were more Barcelona and Manchester United shirts on display than there were Sparta and Slavia Prague, the two traditional heavyweights of the Czech game.

With Czech clubs receiving substantially less sponsorship money, prize money and TV money than leading European clubs they are thus working on far smaller budgets.

Leading talents such as Kadlec have to leave to balance the books and the only returning big names are often well past their prime.

This unfortunate scenario is also the case in other countries such as Serbia and Hungary, both countries whose clubs have made serious impact in European competitions in the past.

With limited talent in the domestic leagues of these countries, football fans make the decision to watch the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and David Silva on the television rather than go to the stadiums to support their local teams.

With fewer and fewer people going to the stadiums and attendance figures continuing to dwindle, it appears impossible that the likes of Sparta Prague will ever reach the semi-finals of the Champions League ever again.

The Bundesliga Boom http://footballspeak.com/post/2011/09/30/The-Bundesliga-Boom.aspx

The phrase ‘German Efficiency’ has been branded around in relation to everything from cars, to public transport, to industrial productivity and many believe German football to be no anomaly to this theory.

The mental image conjured up when many are prompted to think of the German game, is one of ruthlessly disciplined teams who are almost always in the reckoning in the latter stages of football major competitions.

However in recent years German football has taken giant strides in freeing itself of the shackles of such stereotypes and the Bundesliga is widely regarded as being the entertaining and fan-friendly league in the world.

A quick glance at the UEFA Coefficient rankings shows that the Bundesliga has now jumped above Serie A in the table and sits in third behind The Premier League and La Liga, now also enjoying four Champions League places each season.

But what is it that makes The Bundesliga so entertaining and ensures that fans flock to games like nowhere else in Europe?

Firstly, the 50+1 rule is believed by many to be the cornerstone to much of the success of The Bundesliga.

The rule states that every German club must be majority owned by their fans (51%), preventing controlling takeovers and the subsequent huge financial investment from oligarchs as we have seen at various clubs across Europe over previous seasons.

This rule serves to create a more level playing field and the implication of the rule is evidently paying dividends.

In the past eight seasons The Bundesliga has seen five different clubs name as title winners. Bayern Munich four times, with Werder Bremen, VFB Stuttgart, Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund all also having been crowned as champions.

The 50+1 rule could be a decisive factor as to why German clubs have struggled to compete in Europe over recent seasons. With investment potential limited, many clubs have struggled in recent seasons to compete on the field with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona who have far greater sums of money at their disposal.

Despite only Bayern having enjoyed success in Europe over recent years (their 2010 run to the final), the domestic game has never failed to provide entertainment and surprises.

This uncertainty makes for exciting times for German fans, as the majority of supporters believe that their team can spring a surprise or two over the course of the season.

Last time out traditional heavyweights Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg and Schalke all finished in the bottom half, whilst unfancied Hannover, Mainz and Nuremberg all occupied the top third come the end of the season.

As a result of this German fans have packed the stands like no others. Numerous English journalists have so far commented on the unique and deafening atmosphere prevalent in German stadiums, after Arsenal’s visit to Dortmund’s huge Signal Iduna Park and Manchester City’s defeat at Bayern’s Allianz Arena.

Last season The Bundesliga average attendance was over the 42,000 mark and throw into the mix newly-promoted Hertha Berlin’s giant Olympiastadion and the figure looks set to rise once more.

German authorities have overseen the introduction of ‘safe terracing’ and this could well be a contributing factor to the excellent atmosphere available to sample on match-days.

Champions Borussia Dortmund boast the world’s largest standing terrace which regularly sees 25,000 loyal fans fill the terrace and create an incredible wall of noise.

A place on this terrace costs just 15Euros with the majority of other clubs also having equally cheap tickets.

Bargain tickets coupled with the permitted consumption of beer on the terraces make for what is heralded as the best fans experience currently available anywhere in the footballing world.

However it isn’t just cheap tickets, great atmosphere and a level playing field that help make the Bundesliga the game’s most watched league, another currency is equally important, goals.

Remarkably over the past 21 seasons The Bundesliga has seen the most goals out of Europe’s big five leagues. Consistently more goals fly in in Germany than in England, France, Italy and Spain.

Last season The Bundesliga saw on average 2.92 goals a game, eclipsing The Premier League in second with 2.80.

Throughout the season spectators were only forced to suffer 28 goalless draws, also the lowest of any of the big five.

The German national team, known affectionately as The Nationalmannschaft, have also reaped the benefits of the recent Bundesliga Boom.

Both of the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup have seen Germany finish third and instead of playing efficient rather than eye-catching football, the teams of 2006and 2010 played with swagger, style and substance.

The 2006 side won the hearts of the host nation as Klinsmann’s men stormed into the semi-finals before being eliminated by eventual winners Italy in extra time.

The 2010 team arguably left even more of a legacy only being outdone by again the eventual winners Spain.

Joachim Low’s side featured young starlets such as Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller all of whom featured 12 months previously in the Under 21 European Championships and made the successful transition from promising youngsters to global superstars.

Arguably if these players plied their trades in The Premier League it is unlikely that they would have been able to establish themselves on the world stage quite so quickly.

The 50+1 rule has helped ensure German clubs invest more in youth development and giving talented players a chance in the first-team, all this whilst many English talents have grown frustrated at the lack of first-team opportunities in expensively assembled squads and found themselves farmed out on loan to lesser clubs in order to prove themselves.

The latest off The Bundesliga conveyor belt is exciting playmaker Mario Gotze of Dortmund, who has already established himself in his club side as well as the national team and has been tipped by many experts as a potential world-beater, all this at the age of 19.

With reigning champions Borussia Dortmund languishing in 8th place in the league and Hamburg at the foot of the table, The Bundesliga boom isn’t set to go away anytime soon.

Capital Revolution for footballspeak.com

Manchester City’s solid start to the 2011-2012 campaign has indicated their intentions to challenge for honours on both a domestic and continental front and for the first time since the arrival of Sheikh Mansour in 2008, the Citizens have a squad that many tip as capable of doing so.

The Citizens transformation from wealthy outsiders to serious contenders may have taken a couple of seasons and some serious investment, but elsewhere there are a number of other clubs from all corners of the globe who with serious cash injections are looking to reshape the axis of power within the modern game.

Whether or not these teams do transpire to become serious contenders for the games top honours, early signs are encouraging as they flood their starting elevens with established talent as well as exciting youngsters destined to make a big impact in the game.

One grand project already taking huge strides is the takeover of Paris St Germain by Qatari Sports Investments.

The group secured a successful takeover of the club back in June and have already made several impressive moves in their bid to wake the traditional sleeping giant of French football.

The ambition and drive of the new owners was clearly enough to impress then Inter Milan manager Leonardo, as he vacated his role at the San Siro to become PSG’s new Sporting Director, the club where he spent a year as a player during the 1996-1997 season.

Leonardo has already overseen a number of high-profile signings including Blaise Matuidi, Jeremy Menez, Mohammed Sissoko and Javier Pastore.

The signings of Javier Pastore was seen by many as particularly poignant given the fact that PSG pipped several established clubs to the highly-rated young Argentine international’s signature. PSG beat off the likes of Inter, AC Milan and Chelsea in the race for Pastore, a remarkable feat for a team not even competing in this seasons Champions League.

The draws of PSG were simple. Paris is the fifth biggest city in Europe and features many iconic images that have made the city so recognisable and such a desirable destination for millions of tourists each year. PSG is the only professional club within the city and the new owners hope to tap into the vast potential for the city to boast a team capable for consistently challenging for not only Ligue 1, but also the Champions League.

Much further East from glamorous Paris is another team turning heads as a result of some huge financial assistance. This team is Anzhi Makhachkala.

Anzhi Makhachkala are funded by oligarch Suleiman Kerimov and are an entirely different case from PSG considering that Anzhi boast no geographical potential and have little footballing tradition, only narrowly avoiding relegation from the Russian Premier Division last season.

Anzhi hail from the Southern region of Dagestan, a poor and troubled area still deemed dangerous enough to warrant the squad to be based in Moscow and only making the 1,000 mile trip to the region for home games.

Doubters have levelled criticism that Kerimov’s investment in Anzhi is for political gain, but nobody can doubt that the club can now boast some exciting talent within their ranks.

The first signing of this new era was veteran full-back Roberto Carlos and while the Brazilian may not have many games left in him as a professional footballer, the signing certainly helped raise the profile of Anzhi, seemingly opening the floodgates for a number of other top players who have since joined the club.

Also now in the ranks are former Chelsea man and Russian international Yuri Zhirkov, Brazilian hotshot Diego Tardelli, playmaker Mbark Bousouffa, former PSV man and Hungarian international Balazs Dzsudzsak and most notably Samuel Eto’o. The reigning African Player of the Year on a reported annual salary of £17.5m.

Anzhi are undoubtedly still a work in progress but early signs are encouraging and the club currently sit 7th in the table, but only nine points off top spot.

Another country with inflating ambitions is Brazil. In recent years Brazil’s economy has experienced a boom alongside those of India, China and Russia. All of this whilst many European clubs from the traditional top leagues have become saddled with debt.

A strengthened economy as well as the benefits of hosting the 2014 World Cup has meant that Brazilian clubs have been able to hold on to their talent for longer and attract top players back from Europe earlier, as opposed to previously when players often only returned if they had failed to make the grade in Europe or were in the process of winding down their careers.

In the run to the 2014 World Cup various sponsors have part-funded wages of top players who have returned to the Brazilian Championship including Ronaldinho, Elano, Denilson , Deco and very almost Carlos Tevez who saw a move to Corinthians collapse at the last minute.

Is it possible that the global trend of top South American players seeing it as a necessity to depart for Europe will be reversed, with more and more players moving to South America from Europe?

With the strength of the UEFA Champions League as a brand and marketing tool, such a reverse seems unlikely. However over the coming years the playing field between Europe and South America is expected to level somewhat.

China is now recognised as one of the world’s leading economies having experienced rapid growth over recent years, however the countries football is not thought to have grown on a similar level but what many people don’t know is that in Dario Conca, the Chinese Super League has one of the highest paid footballers in the world.

Dario Conca may not be up there with Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney in terms of profile, but he certainly is in terms of salary.

Conca was bought from Fluminese by Guangzhou Evergrande who are backed by Xu Jiayan, China’s richest man, Xu Jiayan having earned his $3.6billion fortune in the property sector.

Guangzhou have also bought Brazilians Cleo and Muriqui as well as numerous top domestic talents and Real Estate company Dalian Wanda have recently tied up a deal to sponsor the Chinese Super League and fund a number of youth programmes, also using the cash to install Jose Antonio Camacho as coach of the national team.

It is unlikely that Conca and co elected to move to China for career purposes; it instead shows how uncertain the future of the game of football is if the very pawns, the players, are so easily swayed and persuaded to move to unusual destinations to secure a large pay packet.

While it may have taken Manchester City a few years and a few pounds to establish themselves at the very top of the game, it is worth considering what other new superpowers are likely to emerge over the coming seasons courtesy of significant cash injections.

Transfer deadline day

After spending an evening watching Sky Sports News' tedious coverage of what will probably be largely insignificant transfers, I have taken a look at a few deals on the continent that I think are far more interesting.

http://www.dexysden.co.uk/2011/08/three-heavyweight-european-movers-and-shakers/