The Nika Derby is widely considered the Greatest Football Rivalry in the World, indeed preceding the invention of the sport itself. Both teams play their home games in the Neo-Hippodrome, but represent wildly different supporters groups.
The blue clad Constantinople Athletic is traditionally associated with the Upper Class, the Monarchy, and the Church. Despite numerous attempts by Patriarchs to stop the practice, sacred icons are still known to disappear from shrines and appear among supporters of Athletic. However Athletic is, somewhat awkwardly, also the team most associated with non-Greek elements in the Capitol, be they Christian or Muslim.
Golden Horn FC enjoys support obviously from those living near the Golden Horn, but also from the more working class areas of the City. Supporters have generally aligned themselves with more radical movements, and the supporters section has been called "the birthplace of Romanian Republicanism." Golden Horn also has a tendency towards Hellenic supremacy, and fans have been accused of racism with regularity.
The teams meet twice every season, save a brief period when Golden Horn was relegated in the 1930s, and often face each other in the Roman Cup as well as well European competition. Violence whenever they face each other is a given. In 2022 12 people died, which the City Prefect called "a fantastic display of progress towards deescalation." Forfeitures are not uncommon, either as a result of crowd interference or player misconduct. Matthaios Rokas, beaten to death by a mob of Golden Horn fans in 2011, was the last player to directly cross the line. The rivalry is further fueled by the dominance of both teams over the league, with the 1999 Chalcedon FC squad being the last team outside the capital to win the league, while the last team outside the derby was Quintum Square in 2008.
Fans have been known to unite on certain issues. Although tensions between club players has caused grief for the National team in the past, both sides of the derby support the nation fanatically. When Earthquake relief funds raised by the clubs was revealed to be being embezzled, blues and greens united to sack the Sporting Logothete and install new leadership.