Big Three (Netherlands)
In Dutch sports, The Big Three Top Three ) or The Three Top Clubs' ) are the nicknames for the three most successful rivalling football clubs in the Netherlands: Ajax from Amsterdam, Feyenoord from Rotterdam and PSV from Eindhoven. Collectively they amounted to 78 of the 135 Dutch Football Championships ever played, and 62 of a possible 68 championships since the introduction of the national Eredivisie in 1956. The three clubs generally end up sharing the top three positions and contending for the title.
None of the three clubs have been relegated from the Eredivisie either, having been participants in all editions since Dutch football was merged into a single top-level professional competition in the 1956–57 season. The only other team not having relegated from the Eredivisie'' is FC Utrecht, which inherited the place from DOS in the highest Dutch league after the merger of DOS, Velox, and USV Elinkwijk per July 1970.
Champions outside Big Three
Several other clubs outside the "Big Three" have won the Dutch league, with HVV Den Haag having the fourth most national titles behind the "Big Three" in the Netherlands with 10 in total; however, the last time they clinched the national title was in 1914.After the Eredivisie was established in 1956, the only other champions, outside the “Big Three” clubs, were AZ Alkmaar, DOS, Sparta Rotterdam, DWS and FC Twente.
International successes
Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV are the only Dutch clubs which have won European and international competitions.Feyenoord won the European Cup in 1970, the UEFA Cup in 1974 and 2002, as well as the Intercontinental Cup in 1970. The club lost the match for the 2002 UEFA Super Cup and the final of the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Ajax won the European Cup three consecutive times in 1971, 1972 and 1973, and a fourth time after it was rebranded to the UEFA Champions League in 1995. Ajax also won the UEFA Cup in 1992, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1987, the Intercontinental Cup of 1972 and 1995, as well as the European Super Cup of 1972, 1973 and 1995. The club lost the European Cup final in 1969, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in 1988, the 1987 UEFA Super Cup, and the UEFA Europa League final in 2017.
PSV won the European Cup of 1988 and the UEFA Cup in 1978. The club lost the matches for the 1988 Intercontinental Cup and the 1988 UEFA Super Cup.
Besides the “Big Three”, FC Twente and AZ Alkmaar also played in UEFA Cup finals, in 1975 and 1981. They were both runners-up to Borussia Mönchengladbach and Ipswich Town, respectively.