The Big Three (Greek: Οι μεγάλοι τρεις, hoi megaloi treis) is the nickname of the three most successful sports clubs in Greece, all of whom are located within the Lekanopedio of Attica. The football teams of AEK, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos have a great rivalry, and are usually the main contenders for the title. Combined they share a total of 80 out of 87 Greek Football Championships ever played and generally they usually end up sharing the top three positions. A.E.K. have won 13 League titles (2023 was the last one), Olympiacos a record 47 (2022) and Panathinaikos 20 (2010).
Olympiacos is the most successful club in Greek football history,[1] having won 47 League titles, 28 Cups (18 Doubles) and 4 Super Cups, all records.[2] Τotalling 79 national trophies, Olympiacos is 9th in the world in total titles won by a football club.[3] The club's dominating success can be further evidenced by the fact that all other Greek clubs have won a combined total of 39 League titles, while Olympiacos also holds the record for the most consecutive Greek League titles won, with seven in a row in two occasions (1997–2003 and 2011–2017), breaking their own previous record of six consecutive wins in the 1950s (1954–1959), when Olympiacos was unequivocally nicknamed Thrylos. (Greek: Θρύλος, "The Legend"). Having won the 2014–15 League title, Olympiacos became the only football club in the world to have won a series of five or more consecutive championships for five times in their history, a record that was praised by FIFA with a congratulatory letter of its president, Sepp Blatter.[4] They are also the only Greek club to have won five consecutive national Cups (1957–1961) as well as six League titles undefeated (1937, 1938, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1955).[5] Olympiacos are one of only three clubs to have never been relegated from the top flight of Greek football, and by winning the 2012–13 title, their 40th in total, they added a fourth star above their crest, each one representing 10 League titles.[6]
