Derby Week: Together in revolution, rivals in sport - the Algiers derby unites and divides
After that, both became major driving forces and symbols of the Algerian revolution. Later, they became bitter rivals whose matches against each other very often come with serious incidents and controversies both on the pitch and behind the scenes.
Football as a breeding ground for revolution
In 1921, a group of young Algerians got together to form the first Muslim football club in the country, which was controlled by France as a colony. The date of the founding of Mouloudia coincided with Mawlid, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. Hence the club's name ('mouloudia' means birth in Arabic) and its visual symbolism are closely linked to Islam. The team's emblem features the Muslim crescent and the club colours are green and red. Green is the traditional, sacred colour of Islam while red is meant to symbolise love for the Algerian Muslim nation.
MC Alger was founded in the Casbah district of the capital, Algiers. 'Casbah' is also the general term for the fortress that protects the so-called 'medina', the historic centre of Arab cities. Medinas and casbahs can be found in many cities in North Africa and beyond. The Casbah district in Algiers, however, is one of the most important, not least because of football and the events associated with it.
Another purely Muslim club, the USM Alger (the fortified medina in the Casbah district is also depicted in the club's logo), was founded in 1937 in Algiers' historic core. Its founders were also very active in politics and the national movement, whose main idea was the liberation of the Muslim people and the creation of an independent Algeria. Although the struggle for independence was still far away at that time, groups of young nationalist activists moving around the two Muslim football clubs of the Casbah laid the foundations for future popular mobilisation. Casbah has always been the epicentre of anti-French sentiment in the capital.
In 1945, the celebrations of the end of the Second World War turned into a heated demonstration by Algerians against the French colonial forces. The patriotic uprising was harshly suppressed by the French army and ended in bloodshed. This incident is linked to the change of club colours of USMA. The club wanted to express its support for the national revival and to commemorate the massacre by changing its colours to black, the colour of mourning, and red for the blood of the martyrs.
It is no coincidence that in addition to Muslim football organisations, the rebel National Liberation Front was formed in Casbah. Resistance against French rule in Algeria culminated in 1954 when the National Liberation Front launched an armed revolution. The Algerian War of Independence lasted until 1962. It brought the Algerian nation its longed-for independence but it also cost it many victims.
Rivals in more ways than one
The struggle for independence united MC Alger and USM Alger on the one hand but the Muslim values that had accompanied both clubs from the Casbah since their inception also pitted them against each other.
The National Liberation Front, to which the USMA club was directly linked in personnel, had radicalised its views considerably during the Algerian war. MCA stood in opposition to such pronounced values as a whole, and tensions between the two clubs were running high. Since then, the derby has been continuously accompanied by behind-the-scenes struggles between political and power influences in the country.
Apart from differences of opinion, possible political and corrupt influences, and the fact that they are direct neighbours from the district of Casbah, the rivalry between the clubs is also purely sporting.
The camps of the two teams tease each other and boast about their respective successes. For many years, MCA fans have boasted to their rivals because they managed to win the African Champions League in 1976. USMA footballers at least partially matched their rivals last year, in 2023, when they won the CAF Confederation Cup, an African club cup competition that is comparable in prestige to the Europa League.
The two clubs have thus won one continental trophy in their history and also have an identical eight domestic cup trophies in their cabinets. In terms of league titles, USMA have had the upper hand in recent years. Their most recent, the eighth overall in the club's history, was won in the 2018/19 season.
MCA have one less title to their name but look likely to catch their rivals again in the current season as they are clearly dominating the Algerian Ligue 1 table. They can take another step towards the title they have been waiting 14 years for in a clash with rival USMA this week.
Other derbies of the week:
Friday, May 3rd
Germany - 2. Bundesliga (2. Liga)
Hamburg city derby
We wrote in more detail about the Hamburg derby, which is a clash of differing ideologies and social values rather than a football battle for the city, in Derby Week in the autumn. The last mutual match ended in a 2-2 draw. Now, the last three games of the season remain. FC St. Pauli is fighting for promotion to the top flight, where it last played in 2010/11.
Netherlands - Eerste Divisie (2. liga)
East Brabant derby
FC Eindhoven is the third major club from Eindhoven after PSV and Sparta. Traditionally, however, they belong in the 2nd league. They have a local rival, Helmond Sport, from Helmond, a town just 10 kilometres east of Eindhoven.
Ireland - Premier Division
Bohemian FC vs Shamrock Rovers
Dublin derby
This is the biggest derby in Irish football. As well as being based in the capital, both clubs are among the most successful teams in the country. Shamrock top the historical table in terms of titles. Rovers have been Irish champions 21 times. In the 2023 season (played on a spring-autumn system), Shamrock won their fourth consecutive title. Bohemian FC have enjoyed the Irish title 11 times (most recently in 2009).
Saturday, May 4th
Germany - Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich
Southern derby
The sensational champion of this year's Bundesliga has been known for a few weeks now. But the fight for second place is still on and it happens to be a derby. Munich and Stuttgart are the biggest cities in the south of Germany. The resentment of VfB fans towards Bayern, in addition to the rival's historical domination, is compounded by the fact that Bayern have in the past "stolen" players like Giovane Elber, Mario Gomez and Benjamin Pavard from Stuttgart.
Sunday, May 5th
Belgium - Jupiler Pro League
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise vs RSC Anderlecht
Brussels derby
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise were promoted to the Belgian Jupiler League in 2021 and immediately placed themselves among the candidates for the top spot. Since then, they have held an exceptional record in the derby with Brussels rivals Anderlecht. Of the nine encounters, eight have been won and only once have the points been shared. Anderlecht only managed to beat RUSG for the tenth time in the league in the first match of the extra stage for the title. Now it's time for the rematch. The title fight in Belgium is once again very tight!
Monday, May 6th
Japan - J1 League
Osaka derby
One of the traditional derbies of the Japanese top flight is the match between Cerezo Osaka and Gamba Osaka, two clubs from the huge Osaka conurbation, home to around 20 million people. Both teams are at the top of the table in this year's J1 League so far.
Ireland - Premier Division
Louth derby
Outside of Cork and Dublin, Louth is the only county in Ireland that boasts Premier League clubs. Dundalk are historically the second-best Irish side (after Shamrock Rovers with 21 titles). They have won the league a total of 14 times (most recently in 2019). Drogheda have won one title (2007).
Sweden - Allsvenskan
Gothenburg derby
Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden is the country's footballing outpost. It is home to three top-flight clubs. One of them is IFK Goteborg. The other two are GAIS and Orgryte. We wrote about their mutual rivalries in Derby Week last year. The Gothenburg derby between GAIS and IFK returns to the top-tier calendar after a long time. GAIS is back in the top competition after 11 years.