Ruben's Writings

We’re going to take a break from our global journey to find the best rivalries in soccer, partially to not make things repetitive and partially because there are some other aspects of soccer rivalries that I want to talk about. 

The first is something that may be more prominent in other sports, but definitely exists in the beautiful game: individual rivalries. While team rivalries obviously get the headlines, there are sometimes instances where hatred develops between two or more individual players (or even managers). They can help define a rivalry between two clubs or even last beyond that, as both participants move clubs and continue their hatred. Some are even better and that, representing each side of national and generational arguments. But which are the best?

TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL RIVALRIES IN SOCCER HISTORY

This will not be the last Top 10 list during this section, so I’ll mention this at the start of the first one. Each of these lists will include (obviously) ten items, as well as several honorable mentions. I’ll try to limit these to three, but there may need to be more.

HONORABLE MENTION: ARRIGO SACCHI VS. FABIO CAPELLO

In 1986, new Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi fired manager Nils Liedholm, with assistant Fabio Capello taking over for the final six games of the Serie A season. Although Capello did well, Berlusconi hired Arrigo Sacchi from Parma to become Milan’s new manager. The move was controversial, as Sacchi was famously a shoe salesman before getting into soccer. Milan excelled under Sacchi, winning two European Cups and a Serie A title, among others. But in 1991, Sacchi was controversially fired, with Berlusconi reportedly wanting more of a “yes man.” Sacchi’s replacement was none other than Capello, who guided Milan to even more success. However, there’s always been a debate as to two the better manager really was, with Sacchi famously saying he preferred his attacking style over Capello’s defensive-minded approach. Both Capello and Sacchi have always been compared to each other, being asked questions about the other frequently, though some talking points have been more alarming than others.

HONORABLE MENTION: FRANCESCO TOTTI VS. ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO

It’s one of the greatest debates in Italian soccer. In their prime, who would you take to run your offense, Francesco Totti or Alessandro Del Piero? Both No. 10’s debuted for their clubs (Roma and Juventus, respectively) in 1993 and were two of the best players in all of Serie A for the better part of the next two decades. Given that they played similar positions and often went head-to-head when their teams played, people loved comparing the two, especially as both were prominent figures with the Italian national team. Not every factor was even, with Del Piero’s Juventus able to spend much more and attract more pieces around him than Totti had at Roma. Both players have acknowledged the rivalry between the two of them, but each have dismissed it as more of a competitive battle between friends who recognized each other as leaders and legends. Del Piero recently said that the two have always been friends and remain so to this day, with their rivalry being based on their immense and mutual respect.

HONORABLE MENTION: STEVEN GERRARD VS. FRANK LAMPARD

Perhaps the English equivalent to the above debate, Steven Gerrard vs. Frank Lampard was a question pretty much every fan of English soccer asked at one point. Both were talismans of two of the country’s best clubs — Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively — and among the best players in Premier League history. Much like the rivalry above, this one was more created by the media as a way to spark debate over who was best, although the flames were also stoked by both clubs being Premier League title contenders and having teammates and managers get into arguments themselves. There was also the great question about the midfield of the English national team — do you go with Lampard or Gerrard, or play them both at the same time. Given England’s history in major tournaments during that time, I’d say neither was the answer. Gerrard and Lampard’s careers followed similar paths, both eventually playing in MLS (and being shit) before becoming managers (both are kind of shit, but at least Gerrard finally won a league title).

10. RIO FERDINAND VS. JOHN TERRY

Rio Ferdinand and John Terry are two of the greatest center backs in Premier League history, being mainstays at Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively, and leading their clubs to glory (both captained their squads in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, which United won after Terry famously slipped on what would’ve been the match-winning penalty). But fans of both clubs can admit each man is a bit of a dickhead, with both involved in a number of issues on and off the field, even into retirement. While the on-field clashes didn’t help, the animosity between the two reached a fever pitch in 2011, when Terry was accused of racist abuse by Ferdinand’s brother, Anton. Though Terry was acquitted in court, the FA found him guilty and he retired from the England national team in 2012. That came after Euro 2012, with Terry selected for the tournament and Ferdinand controversially left at home. The beef has refused to cool off in retirement, with both men taking shots at each other even while praising the other.

9. MAURO ICARDI VS. MAXI LOPEZ (VS. WANDA NARA)

We begin the Top 10 with a recent example, but one that immediately entered legendary status and keeps on giving to this day. In 2013, Maxi Lopez announced he was divorcing his wife, Wanda Nara, who he accused of cheating on him with former Sampdoria teammate Mauro Icardi. Although the pair initially denied the affair, Lopez and Nara married in 2014, not long after the divorce was finalized. During a match between Sampdoria and Inter later that year, Lopez refused to shake Icardi’s hand (with the media dubbing the match the “Wanda Bowl”), with icy feelings remaining when Lopez did the same thing two years later. The controversy sparked negative perceptions of Icardi in the players’ native Argentina, with even noted family man Diego Maradono getting in on the criticism. Icardi was controversially left off Argentina’s 2018 FIFA World Cup roster, with the affair believed to be to blame. Last year, Icardi and Nara had their own divorce, though the pair are apparently still in an on-again, off-again relationship.

8. SERGIO RAMOS VS. GERARD PIQUE

If Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were the faces of El Clasico in the 2010’s, then Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos were at worst 1B. The two Spanish center backs and former captains are legends for their squads and are among the best defensive players in soccer history. But even though they played next to each other for the Spanish national team, their club differences led to some major beef between the two. Both were fiercely loyal to their clubs at a time when Barcelona and Real Madrid were fighting to be the best in the world each season, with Pique in particular being vocally pro-Catalan. Pique has been active on social media, always defending Barcelona (even to the point of berating referees) and shitting on Madrid (including comparing Real defender Alvaro Arbeloa to a cone). Ramos has been equally game to respond, telling Pique that he needs to “show respect.” This doesn’t even mention the mind games both players played on the field and the… let’s say “physical play” of both men, especially Ramos.

7. OLIVER KAHN VS. JENS LEHMANN

Germany has been known for providing some of the world’s best goalkeepers, never having a lack of talent for that position in the national team. But what happens when you have two No. 1 quality shot-stoppers at the same time? Well, you get what happened with Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann. While Kahn was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and dragged Germany to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final, by the time the 2006 campaign was getting close, Lehmann (who was the No. 2 in 2002) openly questioned why Kahn was still starting over him. While tension had finally boiled over, it wasn’t the first controversial comment Lehmann made about Kahn — he had previously referred to an affair with a Munich barmaid that Kahn had started while his then-wife was pregnant. Lehmann actually got the nod over Kahn in the 2006 World Cup, playing well as Germany narrowly lost to eventual champs Italy in the semi-finals. Though Lehmann let Kahn play in the third-place match, the two remain enemies to this day.

6. BRIAN CLOUGH VS. DON REVIE

Leeds United’s greatest area was arguably from the late 1960’s to mid 1970’s, when they won two First Division titles (and nearly won several more) and an FA Cup, among other titles. But they also earned a reputation as an overly physical and rough squad (even for the era) and had a lot of critics as a result. Those included then-Derby County manager Brian Clough, who was one of the most outspoken opponents of Leeds’ playing style, as well as their manager, Don Revie. Clough even went as far as to call Leeds “dirty” and accuse them of cheating, which pissed Revie off. Revie left Leeds in 1974 and was shockingly replaced by Clough, who lasted just 44 days in charge (the tenure was immortalized in the 2009 film The Damned United). On the day of his dismissal, Clough appeared on the Calendar TV news show — side-by-side with Revie. Throughout the interview, Clough and Revie criticized each other’s managerial style and traded cheap shots in one of the most uncomfortable yet fascinating pieces of TV ever.

5. PEP GUARDIOLA VS. JOSE MOURINHO

Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho are two of the greatest and most successful managers in modern soccer history yet could not be more different. Guardiola is an eccentric, master tactician while Mourinho isn’t afraid to get blunt and is known for shithousery on and off the field. Also, neither of them can stand the other. Things began in 2010, when Mourinho’s Inter upset Guardiola’s Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, parking the bus in the process. Mourinho then made the move to Real Madrid, putting him face-to-face with Guardiola in one of the biggest rivalries in sports. Over the next few years, the two would engage in a war of words and results, with Mourinho at one point poking Guardiola’s assistant, Tito Vilanova, in the eye during a brawl between the clubs. Mourinho left Madrid in 2013, but he and Guardiola would square off as opposing managers in another major rivalry a few years later, when they took charge of Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively, and re-ignited the feud.

4. ROY KEANE VS. PATRICK VIEIRA

From the late 1990’s to early 2000’s, Manchester United and Arsenal dominated the Premier League, often battling each other for league dominance. This brought their rivalry to a whole new level and no players symbolized this more than Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira. In addition to being quite good at soccer, Keane and Vieira were also both tremendous leaders and emotional players, which naturally led to them going at it personally on the field (at one point throwing punches at each other). But their most memorable moment came off the pitch before a 2005 match, when Vieira confronted Gary Neville over a foul he committed in the previous game between the two sides. Keane stepped in to tell Vieira to go away and all hell broke loose. Tempers continued to flare after the match (a 4-2 United win), with both players referencing the other’s international career at one point. Time has cooled off this hatred, with the now-retired Keane and Vieira admitting (albeit somewhat begrudgingly) their mutual respect for each other.

3. SIR ALEX FERGUSON VS. ARSENE WENGER

Perhaps the only two people who defined the fiery Manchester United-Arsenal rivalry more than Keane and Vieira were their managers. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are easily the two longest-tenured managers in Premier League history, with the two legends facing each other at least twice a season for 17 years in a row. Given that both clubs were title contenders basically every one of those years, things would get heated from time to time. Both managers would engage in a war of words, insults, and other mind games to try and get an advantage. Things were at their most intense when United snapped Arsenal’s 49-match unbeaten streak in somewhat controversial fashion — afterwards, a fight broke out in the tunnel involving players and staff, culminating in Ferguson being hit in the face with a slice of pizza. The “Battle of the Buffet” may have been heated, but much like the rivalry between their captains, the animosity between Ferguson and Wenger has disappeared over the years, with the two on good terms.

2. PELE VS. DIEGO MARADONA

Pele’s playing career only overlapped with Diego Maradona’s for two seasons, as the former was bowing out with the New York Cosmos and the latter debuted for Argentinos Juniors. But largely until Maradona’s death in 2020, the two engaged in a decades-long war of words and were the symbols of two major rivals in Brazil and Argentina. How did this happen? Well, until Lionel Messi came around, Pele and Maradona were unanimously considered the two best players in the history of soccer, with the debate raging over who was No. 1 and No. 2. While some see the comparison as useless, given the two played in different eras, many more are vocal in the support of one and opposition of the other. Things weren’t helped by FIFA creating a “Football Family” committee to name Pele the Best Player of the Century in 2000, following an online poll by FIFA that saw Maradona gather 53.6% of the vote. Although the two had their acrimonious moments, the late legends did end up making peace before their deaths.

1. LIONEL MESSI VS. CRISTIANO RONALDO

The greatest debate in modern soccer surrounds the two best players of their generation — Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — and asks which is better. Both Messi and Ronaldo are objectively in contention for soccer GOAT, having each scored a metric fuck ton of goals, created some of soccer’s most iconic moments, shattered records, won countless pieces of silverware, and influenced popular culture (the two are the most followed people on Instagram). Their greatness was especially on display from 2009-18, when Messi and Ronaldo starred for Barcelona and Real Madred, respectively. While the two players themselves have no animosity towards each other and have always been on good terms (apart from the odd spat during El Clasico), their fan bases have gone to war for well over a decade as to who’s better. Many now consider that debate to have been settled with Messi leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with them putting Messi in the upper-most eschalon with Pele and Maradona.

So, did you enjoy that? If not, too bad because I have a few more coming. I have to break things up somehow! Now then, onto Part 5 for real this time!