Big Three (Netherlands)
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In Dutch sports, The Big Three (Dutch: De Grote Drie) (or The (Traditional) Top Three (Dutch: De (Traditionele) Topdrie)) or The Three Top Clubs (Dutch: De drie Topclubs)) 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 79 of the 136 Dutch Football Championships ever played (as of 2026), and 63 of a possible 69 championships since the introduction of the national Eredivisie in 1956 (as of 2026). 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 (twice: 1981 and 2009), DOS (1958), Sparta Rotterdam (1959), DWS (1964) and FC Twente (2010).
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.
Trophies
| Team | Major national | International | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ED | KB | JCS | National total | CL | CWC | EL | UECL | USC | IC | International total | Grand total | |
| Ajax | 36 | 20 | 9 | 65 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | 2 | 10 | 75 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 27 | 11 | 15 | 53 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 55 |
| Feyenoord | 16 | 14 | 5 | 35 | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | 4 | 39 |
Last updated following the 2025–26 Eredivisie.
Footballers who have played for all three clubs
- Netherlands Ruud Geels (Feyenoord 1966–1970, Ajax 1974–1978, PSV 1981–1982)
- Netherlands Ronald Koeman (Ajax 1983–1986, PSV 1986–1989, Feyenoord 1995–1997)
Managers who have managed all three clubs
- Netherlands Hans Kraay Sr. (Ajax 1974–1975, Feyenoord 1982–1983, PSV 1986–1987)
- Netherlands Ronald Koeman (Ajax 2001–2005, PSV 2006–2007, Feyenoord 2011–2014)
Miscellaneous
- Netherlands Jaap Stam (PSV: player 1996–1998; Ajax: player 2006–2007; Feyenoord: manager 2019)
- Netherlands Peter Bosz (Feyenoord: player 1990–1996, director 2006–2009; Ajax: manager 2016–2017; PSV: manager 2023–present)
- Denmark Frank Arnesen (Ajax: player 1975-81; PSV: player 1985-88, assistent-manager and technical director: 1991-2004; Feyenoord: technical director 2020-22)
- Netherlands Jan Wouters (Ajax: player 1986-91, manager 1999-2000; PSV: player 1994-96, assistant and interim manager 2006-09; Feyenoord: assistant manager 2015-18)