~ Top 10 Football (Soccer) Cities ~

[MysteRy]

Top 10 Football (Soccer) Cities


1. Milan, Italy   



Milan not only can boast with two of the biggest clubs in Italy, but also does it in a single stadium. And one of the biggest in Europe, too - with its over 80,000 seats, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (commonly known as San Siro), alternately holds the fans of AC Milan and Internazionale in encounters famed for the cacophonous atmosphere and routinely lit by flares. With these two teams Milan is the only city to host two European Cup/Champions League winners and with a combined tally of ten, also the city with most Champions League titles to its name. Regularly portrayed as a clash between working-class (Milan) and middle/upper-class (Inter), both clubs are nevertheless wealthy enough to provide some of the best footballers in the world. Although occasionally rivalled for the best footballing city in Italy by Rome (AS Roma) and Turin (Juventus), the electrifying clash of Derby della Madonnina (known to the English speaking world as the Milan derby) is second to none.

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2. Barcelona, Spain   



It is no coincidence that the city is often mixed up with the football team of the same name. FC Barcelona is one of the most successful teams in history and is clearly the dominant force in recent years. It has become the most successful club in Spain, holds the records for most European titles in several competitions, regularly breaks numerous records for winning streaks, goals scored, best players and more, and then some. As recently as 2009 the club six out of six competitions in a single year, a feat with no need of clarification. But FC Barcelona really goes beyond all that. It has become a hallmark of the beautiful game, an example for everyone to follow. The range of home-grown talent is nothing short of staggering. Even more importantly, football has become the informal continuation of the Spanish Civil War and FC Barcelona has become the best way for Catalans to show their superiority and/or independence.

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3. London, England   



It may be that this year the battle for title is going to be decided in Manchester, and Liverpool may hold records for most successful and oldest teams, but the sheer number of top flight clubs that London has spawn is enough to make it stand apart. It regularly features five or more clubs in the Premier League and always at least one contender for the title (Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur usually the most consistent ones). Nearly every neighbourhood has a league football team with a loyal fan base, making it one of the most diversified football cities in the world. Furthermore, it boasts with Wembley Stadium, the 90,000 seats home of the English national team and venue for the FA Cup final (the oldest football competition in the world). In the birthplace of football, London is a beehive of buzzing passion for the sport, a true football megalopolis.

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4. Madrid, Spain   



On the other side of El Classico, the most revered derby in the world, is Real Madrid C.F., the royal club. Unlike Barcelona (where RCD Espanyol are not a real rival), Madrid has a local rivalry worthy of the name, with the underdogs, Atletico Madrid, having enough fans to compensate the lack of trophy success. On a more global level, though, Madrid is usually associated the bigger sibling, and not without reason. Real Madrid has been voted the club of 20th century by FIFA and has enough money in the bank to employ some of the biggest stars on the field. In fact it has done that so often that the nickname Los Galacticos was chosen to reflect the status (and expense) of Real Madrid players. Although in recent years this practice has been tainted by the sense of underachievement, given Barcelonas prevalence, it is still their only rival and show no signs of abating.

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5. Rome, Italy



In a nation where football is as fanatically pursued as any religion has ever been, it is no surprise that the capital is a hub of exaltation and fever. Similarly to Milan, Romes top two teams - AS Roma and S.S. Lazio - share the same stadium, Stadio Olimpico, and their rivalry is as fierce, if not more so. They may not be as trophy studded as their northern counterparts (even Turins Juventus, for that matter), but their passion is not compromised. While the more wealthy northerners tend to attract their star players by luring expensive foreigners, in Rome the players engage in a club-player relationship that is more sacred than marriage. Indeed, the cult-like status of players like Francesco Totti has brought a devotion that has been borderline dangerous on more than one occasion. In fact, cancel that, the heat raised by football in this city is outright dangerous and has led to many unfortunate incidents.

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6. Buenos Aires, Argentina   



Italys ultras groups may seem fanatical at times, but in Argentina football is a universal passion. In a country where football is not only a favourite past time, but often one of the few ways to leave the slums, this is not surprising. Buenos Aires has the highest concentration of football teams of any city in the world (featuring no fewer than 24 professional football teams). More than half of the national competitions have been won by a Buenos Aires club. Above them all stand out Boca Juniors and River Plate, Argentinas two best teams, whose rivalry is nothing short of legendary. Actually, watching a match between them was recently deemed one of the "50 sporting things to do before you die" by The Observer. It may be true that the best players are almost always shifted to the wealthy European clubs, but it is certain that no one ever forgets where they started.

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7. Glasgow, Scotland   



When it comes to rivalries, few are as established as the Old Firm - the ever present confrontation between Rangers and Celtic, the two outstanding clubs in Glasgow and Scotland. This is a town where football is deeply rooted. In fact, it was in Glasgow that the first ever international match (between Scotland and England) was played, way back in 1872. Yes, that long ago. Since then Glasgow, with its two Scottish giants, has been the official representative of one of the sides in an even bigger feud known as the Battle of Britain between England and Scotland. Naturally it also features the national stadium, which also holds the world attendance record by 149,547 watching Scotland vs England international in 1937. By the way, Scotland won 3-1. Having played nearly 350 times and won the Scottish Premier League 96 times between them, the Old Firm is truly a firm establishment, as much as Glasgow itself is.

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8. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil   



England may be the place where it originated, and Scotland have had the first international match, but the spiritual home of football has moved to the other South American giant - Brazil. And Rio de Janeiro is its focal point. It is in the terrain where the city brings its festive spirit. Featuring a somewhat more balanced roster of clubs, with Vasco da Gama, Botafogo, Fluminense, Flamengo, and America routinely warming the hearts of its many fans. All of the meetings between any of these teams is endorsed by the fans enough to give it a special name, but maybe Fla-Flu (Flamengo vs Fluminense) that is the most spectacular (once bringing almost 200,000 people at the famous Maracana stadium). As Eduardo Galeano once put it, "Each Fla-Flu classic is a new battle in a war without end. The two love the same city, lazy, sinful Rio de Janeiro, a city that languidly lets herself be loved, toying with both and surrendering to neither. For her they battle, and she attends each duel dressed for a party."

[MysteRy]

9. Munich, Germany   



Munich is one of the few examples where a footballing nation capital is overshadowed by another city. Whereas Berlin may be an illustrious city in many respects, when we are talking football, Munich is the place to be. Its biggest club, FC Bayern Munich, is also the German powerhouse in football. Immensely successful, not many clubs has been so dominant in their own country. Not that it falls short of any international success, of course - Bayern is one of only three clubs to have been awarded the UEFA Plaque for winning the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League/European Cup (the other two being Ajax and Juventus). Unfortunately it is also infamous with the tragic plane crash, resulting in the death of the majority of Manchester United "Busbys Babes", arguably the most talented football teams in history. On a more positive note it suffice to say that Munich citizens surrender to the joys of football with the same abandon as they do to beer.

[MysteRy]

10. Mexico City, Mexico   



Home of the famous Aztec Stadium, the fearsome 105,000 seated high-altitude lung-strainer, Mexico City is an unappreciated centre of a football loving nation that can rival any other. It is marked by many historical moments, including Maradonas infamous "Hand of God" goal against England, but also his "Goal of the Century" later in the same game. Estadio Azteca also saw the "Game of the Century", when Italy defeated West Germany 4-3 in extra time of one of the 1970 World Cup semi-finals and Peles last international game in the final that year, as well as being the only stadium to host two World Cup finals (in 1970 and 1986, respectively). Three of the Mexican "Big Four" teams - America, Pumas de la U.N.A.M., and Cruz Azul - are located in Mexico City and attract thousands of devoted fans each weak to the thin air (no figurative meaning applicable) of their stadiums.