Definition of Das Revierderby

The two most powerful forces in German football for some time have been Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. However, that doesn't mean that all other matchups are devoid of tension or passion. Das Revierderby is a match between the Ruhr region forces of Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04.

While the derby has been alive since 1925, it did not become particularly intense until the 30s, where Schalke was the most dominant force in the country. Schalke continued this dominance for years, winning title after title and smashing Dortmund in terms of the results.

Over time, Dortmund started to equalize in terms of their results. Dortmund won a great deal of derbies until 1968, where Schalke resumed their dominance of the fixture. One of these derbies became so intense that the fans stormed the pitch and the police released their dogs - who ended up biting 2 Schalke players.

Dortmund has dominated the fixture and trophy haul in recent times. In fact, Dortmund have 6 more trophies in total over the history of the two clubs. However, that does not take away the immense early success that Schalke had and the continual fierceness they bring to each Revierderby.

However, despite all of these factors, there is a certain level of respect between the two clubs. Schalke assisted Dortmund when they were struggling financially after the building of their Westfalenstadion, before Dortmund returned the favour when Schalke opened their Arena AufSchalke. When both won European competitions in 1997, German legend Franz Beckenbauer said "the heart of German football beats in the Ruhr."