Derby della Mole

Lore & Background

The match between the two clubs represented until the First World War the juxtaposition of two opposing social classes. Juventus, founded in 1897 by students of a prestigious high school in Turin, soon became akin to the bourgeois in the town especially after enduring bond with the Agnelli family, which began in 1923, during which time they were also supported by the aristocracy of the region. Torino instead was born in 1906 from a division within Juventus, at the hands of dissidents who joined forces with another team from the city, Football Club Torinese, who identified with the then-early industrial world. In the 1960s and 1970s, these differences had eased considerably, partly as a result of the great migration to Turin about forty years earlier, but did not disappear: Juventus has since transcended its status as the symbol of the bourgeois and elite class to become a global phenomenon while Torino still largely retains an exclusively local fanbase. The colours of the two teams also contribute, in small part, to this distinction: the Bianconeri, originally pink and black, adopted their jerseys from Notts County all the way from England, while the Granata dusted off the colours of the 'Brigade Savoia', that two centuries earlier had liberated the then capital of the Duchy of Savoy. Both clubs, however, featured within their emblems a raging bull, taken from the city's coat of arms: Juventus as a bond with their origins, while Torino adopted it as their identity. It was the case until 2017 when Juventus introduced a J-shaped logo and featured the bull no longer.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicks the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, reflecting the floodlights above. In the stands, a sea of Viola clashes against the deep red of the Torinese ultras. The air is thick with anticipation as the referee blows the whistle, signaling the start of another chapter in this storied feud. A Fiorentina midfielder sprints past the halfway line, eyes fixed on the goal, driven by the roar of the traveling fans who have journeyed far to defend their colors against the giants of Piedmont.

Reader's Guide

The Turin derby was first played on 13 January 1907. It was also the first competitive match of Torino after its founding on 3 December 1906. The rivalry stems from the fact that Torino was founded through a merger of Football Club Torinese and a group of Juventus dissidents, led by major financier Alfred Dick. It is said that prior to the first derby, Dick was locked inside the changing room, causing him to miss the game and having to listen to updates via players and staff. Since then, the derby has not been played in Serie A thirteen times: twelve due to Torino being in Serie B, and once after Juventus were relegated following the 2006 Italian football scandal. As of 28 February 2023, Juventus have won the derby 110 times and Torino have won it 73 times.

Did You Know?

• The derby is named after the Mole Antonelliana, a major landmark in Turin.
• Torino was founded in 1906 from a split within Juventus.
• The largest margin of victory in the derby is Torino's 8–0 win on 17 November 1912.
• Juventus once went 931 minutes without conceding a goal in the derby, from 24 February 2002 until 30 November 2014.