Fifa.com traces the history of arguably the biggest derby in Brazil, Gremio vs. Internacional, which takes place this Saturday. While the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro boast four big clubs apiece, Rio Grande do Sul is entirely divided by what is called the Gre-Nal derby. Gremio and Internacional fans seldom agree. The former champion Renato Gaucho as the greatest player in the history of Porto Alegrense soccer; the latter adamantly vote for Falcao. Gremio's faithful believes a youth academy that has unearthed Ronaldinho, Anderson, Lucas, Carlos Eduardo and Douglas Costa in recent years has no regional equal; the other cites the revelations of Daniel Carvalho, Rafael Sobis, Nilmar, Alexandre Pato and Taison in vehement opposition.
Fifa.com reports on the derby's orgins: "When soccer enthusiasts Henrique, Jose and Luis Poppe swapped Sao Paulo for Porto Alegre in the early-20th century, they found the existing teams were exclusive to those with German ancestry. Consequently, the brothers founded Internacional in April 1909, and duly challenged Gremio to be their maiden opponents. O Tricolor accepted on the condition it could field a reserve team; a request that was denied. On 18 July, in front of an impressive, impassioned crowd of around 2,000, Gremio's German forward Edgar Booth scored five goals en route to a 10-0 victory – one that remains the biggest in clássico gaúcho history."
Gre-Nal has unfolded on 376 occasions, with Internacional winning 141 to Gremio's 118. Carlitos holds the record for games and goals in the fixture, having scored 40 times in 63 outings for Internacional between 1938 and 1951.