Greatest Rivalries in Football - Fenerbahce v Galatasaray

Sparks are bound to fly when football clubs are added to a city separated by a mass of water, especially when the city straddles Europe and Asia. Istanbul’s dominant sides were founded two years apart and a social rift soon added spice to the rift already created by geography. Gala were seen by many as a club for the aristocracy with Fenerbahce the ‘people’s club’.
    Both clubs compete with each other for the title of the most successful football club in Turkey, as well as the greatest Turkish sports club overall. Fenerbahçe SK football section is more successful in the Kıtalar Arası Derbi games, while Galatasaray SK boast their success in winning the 2000 UEFA Cup Final and the 2000 UEFA Super Cup, being the only Turkish team to have this achievement and by being the team that won the Turkish League and the Turkish Cup the most. Galatasaray won the Turkish Cup 14 times while Fenerbahce won it 5 times.
    It all started on Friday 23 February 1934, when unexpected riots happened at a supposed to be friendly match between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray played at Taksim Stadi. Both teams wanted to win badly and therefore the match had to be stopped many times because of hard fouls. The high tension on the pitch caused high tension on the stands as well. The game ended with players fighting, the pitch turned out to be a war rout. The referee had no choice except to abandon the match. It was the end of friendly displays between both clubs.
    Fenerbahçe SK and Galatasaray SK are the most popular Turkish clubs, both sides have large fanbases that follow them in domestic and international matches. Football hooliganism is a very common phenomenon between their fans in recent years, featuring anything from breaking seats, cursing, fighting, fireworks and street rioting. The hatred is so intense that many violent incidents have taken place in several regions of Istanbul as well as in rest of Turkey, especially before or after a derby.
   

Players to watch out for this season-
  : Yilmaz, Drogba, Sneijder, Inan, Muslera ( Galatasaray )
  : Kuyt, Meireles, Sow, Emenike, Webo ( Fenerbahce )