The rivalry between Palmeiras and Corinthians, known as the “Derby paulista”, is one of the biggest in the country and the world. Since 1917, two of the city’s biggest teams have been united in historic games, emblematic moves and titles won against their rivals, transforming the duel into a dimension that grows with every game.
The rivalry has been going on for so many years that many people in São Paulo don’t know when it started. Taking advantage of the fact that tempers are running high after the last derby , which resulted in victory for Corinthians on Wednesday (06), we at São Paulo Secreto have come to tell you about the history of the “Derby paulista”.
Find out where the rivalry between Palmeiras and Corinthians began
Both clubs are centenarians. Corinthians emerged in 1910 associated with the most popular strata of São Paulo society. Palmeiras, on the other hand, emerged as the representative of São Paulo’s immense Italian community of the time, under the name Palestra Italia. The name Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras was adopted in 1942, during the Second World War.
In the first match between Palestra Italia and Corinthians, on May 6, 1917, the Palestinians won 3-0, with three goals from striker Caetano. Twice champions of the Paulista Football League, in 1914 and 1916, Corinthians had been unbeaten for three years in 25 games. That afternoon, at the Palestra Itália stadium, they fell to then-newcomers Palestra, who from that day on would be their biggest rivals in history.
“Derby Paulista”: where did the nickname come from?
The nickname for the derby between Palmeiras and Corinthians, Derby Paulista, originated in the first half of the last century and refers to the Epsom Derby, the most important horse race in the world. This is because the two teams were the great powers (and therefore the great rivals) of the time. The author of the name was Thomaz Mazzoni, a prestigious journalist in the 1930s and 1940s.
For many fans, the Corinthians-Palmeiras derby is the biggest in the country. In 2010, the Datafolha Institute carried out a survey which showed that 77% of the interviewees from Palmeiras believe that Corinthians is their biggest rival, while 59% of those from Palmeiras chose Palmeiras as their biggest rival.
