[1] The main reason being the fact that both clubs were part of the Yugoslav football system and, during the period from 1960 (establishment of NK Maribor) until 1991 (establishment of Slovenian league, the Slovenian PrvaLiga), played only a total of ten seasons in the same league.
Maribor played in the Yugoslav top division for a total of five seasons, between 1967–68 and 1971–72, with the best result of tenth place in 1969–70.
Olimpija played in the Yugoslav first league for a total of twenty seasons, in 1953–54 and between 1965–66 and 1983–84, with the best result of seventh place in 1970–71 and 1982–83.
Both clubs also played in the Yugoslav Cup, where Maribor achieved its best result in 1973 and 1980 with reaching quarter-finals, while Olimpija was the runner-up in the 1970 edition.
In 1991, after Slovenia declared independence, both clubs were the founding members of the Slovenian top division, 1.
On 2 March 2005 a new club was established,[5][6] under the name NK Bežigrad, retaining Olimpija's fans, colours and most of the youth team players.
[12] In addition, Ljubljana was always the cultural, educational, economic and political center of the country and Olimpija and its fans were considered as the representatives of the upper class.
[citation needed] Maribor, on the other hand, was one of the most industrialized cities in Yugoslavia and the majority of its fans were the representatives of the working class, which means that the added tension to the rivalry was usually also political, social and cultural as well.
[citation needed] However, this kind of division was much more apparent in the past, as the class differences between the fanbases have faded out and the social gap that once separated the two sides has closed over the years.
Vili Ameršek is the leading goalscorer among all players that have participated in the matches between Maribor and Olimpija.
[1] Second place is shared between Marko Kmetec and Damir Pekič who both scored 8 goals and are the most successful players after the independence of Slovenia in 1991 and the establishment of the 1.
[1] Gregor Židan, Željko Milinovič and Amir Karić are the only three players who have played for all three clubs involved in the rivalry.
SNL for both clubs and later joined the new Olimpija, at the time known by the name NK Bežigrad where he played less than a season and eventually finished his career.