Gerenia-Senya football rivalry

The Gerenia-Senya rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans. Games between the two teams, even those that are only friendly matches, are often fierce.

Friendlies between the two teams are colloqually known as the Apollonia Classico, which from 2014 will be an annual event. The two teams often meet in competition, particularly in the Copa Apollonia, and are commonly regarded as the best teams in Apollonia and the AEFA confederation.

Origins

After the two nations claimed on Micras in mid-2012, both countries began to organise their own national football teams. The two first met in Senya's Senyan School International Tournament in September 2012, where the two sides played out a 1–1 draw. After both teams performed well in the 2013 Copa Apollonia, the nations became the powerhouses of Apollonian football, particularly with the decline of the Gralus teams and North Antarctica's move to the CTFA confederation.

Rivalry

Since 2014, the two nations have been main rivals, as they generally are perceived to be much stronger than the other nations in the AEFA. The rivalry exploaded at the 2014 Copa Apollonia, when hosts Gerenia knocked out Senya on penalties in the semi-final in a tightly fought encounter. In 2015, a friendly in Senya decended into violence after Senyan fans started rioting in the stands due to Gerenia winning 4–0. Senya exacted revenge in the 2016 Copa Apollonia, eliminating Gerenia 3–1 in the semi-finals.

Fans

A Gerenian banner which reads "Neé d.a.f. Sänya!" ("Neé dirnism attar fuĵ Sänya!", You fuck off Senya!), in response to Senyans' "Fuck off Gerenia".

Naldas supporters setting off smoke bombs during the 2016 Copa Apollonia semi-final.

The Naldas supporter's group regards Gerenia as the enemy, especially after Senya's defeat to Gerenia in the semi-finals of the 2014 Copa Apollonia. However, Senyan fans generally have a respect for their Gerenian counterparts. Senyan supporters often chant "Alva ƨînenen on t old bler e blank" (Always shit on the old blue and white) and "Fuck off Gerenia" when playing Gerenia, whilst in the popular chant "When I see the Senyan's", which is chanted even at games not involving Gerenia, the line "Fæes ota Geren" (Fuck off Gerenia) is chanted following the chorus. The Marauders (Gerenian ultras) also include aggresive lines in their chants, and after the 2015 4–0 win for Gerenia, they made a banner that reads "Er 4–0 'ster eosed ŷ[éer] nohag" (The 4–0 will never be forgotten), and that is displayed in every match involving Gerenia. During the 2016 Copa Apollonia fixture between the two, Senyan fans unfurled a tifo depicting a Senyan man holding a knife and the caption "[The] Gerenian slaughterhouse".