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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Stadium, Pitch & Fans

Derby

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˈdɑːbi/nounCore term

In football (soccer), derby means: A match between two rival teams, usually from the same city or region, followed with special passion by both sets of fans.

In Turkish: derbi

How it is used

Often called a local derby or city derby. The atmosphere, bragging rights and security are big talking points before a derby. Commentators like to say that form goes out of the window in a derby.

Example sentences

  1. Tickets for the derby sold out in an hour.

  2. Winning the derby means more to our fans than anything else.

Common collocations

  • local derby
  • city derby
  • derby day
  • derby win
  • fanA person who supports a particular team or follows football with passion, watching matches at the stadium or on screen.
  • stadiumThe venue where matches are played, made up of the pitch and the stands around it for spectators.
  • chantA short song or phrase that fans sing or shout together in the stands to support their team or players, or to tease the other side.
  • away gameA match a team plays at the opponents' stadium rather than at its own ground.

More terms: Stadium, Pitch & Fans

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