Stretching back into history archives, the Eredivisie is the top tier of Dutch football and has been filled with a wide and rich history since 1956.
Over the years, some of the finest teams and players the footballing world has ever seen have been produced. At their heart are a handful of clubs that have dominated Dutch football, leaving their legacy through many championships, trophies, and even international triumphs.
The article takes an in-depth look at the top five most successful clubs in Eredivisie history.
1. Ajax Amsterdam (36 Eredivisie Titles)
Amongst Dutch football, the first name that usually comes into mind is Ajax Amsterdam, the most successful club throughout Eredivisie history, bearing the crown with 36 titles.
Not only is Ajax a dominating force within the Netherlands, but also certainly one of the most powerful teams on the European stage.
Since 1900, the year of its foundation, Ajax has made itself famous with a peculiar style of play called “Total Football.” This was an innovative system introduced during the 1960s by Rinus Michels, and masterfully carried out by Johan Cruyff.
Success for Ajax began as early as 1917 when the club won its first major trophy, the KNVB Cup.
A year later, Ajax secured their first national championship during the 1918-19 season; what was peculiar with them and set them apart was the fact that they were invincible that season, not having lost a single game.
It was the 1930s that brought Ajax their first golden era with five nationals in one decade, establishing their supremacy in Dutch football.
When the Eredivisie was inaugurated in 1956, Ajax again took the lead, winning the first league title and remaining one of the most important teams for the next decades of its life.
It was in the 1960s that Ajax rose from local phenomenon to world sensation: winning seven Eredivisie titles plus four KNVB Cups at that time. The crowning moment for the club came during the 1970s when Ajax won three successive European Cups, now the UEFA Champions League, from 1971 to 1973, catapulting them among the elite in Europe.
The 36th and most recent Eredivisie title in the 2021-22 season for Ajax showed their continual brilliance. That victory was sealed with 82 points as they concluded their campaign in resounding fashion with a 5-0 win over SC Heerenveen.
Over the years, Ajax has developed some of the world’s greatest football talents, from Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten to modern stars like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.
Their investment in developing young talent through their renowned academy, De Toekomst, has secured Ajax’s legacy for decades to come.
2. PSV Eindhoven (25 Eredivisie Titles)
PSV Eindhoven’s biggest local enemy is one of the most successful Eredivisie clubs (Ajax), founded by the Philips electronics company back in 1913.
Now with a collection of 25 Eredivisie titles to its name, PSV is recognized as a powerhouse when it comes to football in the Netherlands.
The first real taste of European success came in 1978 when PSV won the UEFA Cup, its first major European honor. Powered by a group of star players such as Willy van der Kuijlen and brothers van de Kerkhof, the UEFA Cup victory placed PSV on the map as a serious European contender.
The late 1980s was the most successful period of the club under the management of Guus Hiddink.
In the memorable treble of 1987-88, PSV grabbed victories over three big competitions, the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, and the European Cup, now known as the UEFA Champions League.
Their victory in the European Cup came against Benfica from a tense final that was decided on a penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen acting out heroically to secure victory for PSV.
Beyond domestic titles, PSV has always been a club that has exceptional talent. The likes of Ruud Gullit, Romário, Ronaldo, and Arjen Robben are just but a few of the names to have started their careers at PSV.
The club’s emphasis on developing talent, along with their consistent performances both domestically and in Europe secures their status as one of Holland’s elite clubs.
3. Feyenoord Rotterdam (16 Eredivisie Title)
Another giant of Dutch football, Feyenoord was founded in 1908 and developed a rich history. Being one of the “Big Three” football clubs in the Netherlands, including Ajax and PSV, Feyenoord has won so far 16 Eredivisie titles putting their name among the most successful clubs in Dutch football history.
Success came for Feyenoord in the 1960s and 1970s, both highly successful years at home and abroad.
Their first taste of European glory came in 1970 when Feyenoord became the first Dutch club to win the European Cup, defeating Celtic 2-1 in the final. This victory was followed by a win in the Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Cup, establishing Feyenoord as a formidable team on the European stage.
The most salient feature of Feyenoord with Ajax is “De Klassieker.” The whole fever of the match between these two teams is not only about soccer; it has also grown to be a cultural and regional occurrence that indicates the strained relations between Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
A match between the two teams will always be a watershed fight; air will be electric in Feyenoord’s home turf, De Kuip.
Feyenoord’s supporters are some of the most dedicated supporters in the land of tulips, and it is often described as “the people’s club” because of its origins among the working class.
In 2017, Feyenoord ended a drought in Eredivisie titles that had lasted 18 years and thus delighted their loyal support. With such a rich history and still an ongoing good performance, Feyenoord is one of the landmarks of Dutch football.
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4. HVV Den Haag (10 Eredivisie Titles)
Although HVV Den Haag no longer holds any consequential standing today, the historic successes make them one of the most successful clubs in Dutch football history. Established in 1883, HVV Den Haag dominated the Dutch football scene from the end of the 19th century into the early years of the 20th century by winning the National Championship a total of 10 times between 1890 and 1914.
The capital club HVV Den Haag was the leading club in Dutch football during their glory days, with Kees van der Sluis and David Wijnveldt among their greatest players.
The success of the club did not only revolve within Dutch competitions but also extended internationally, as two of their players represented the Netherlands in the 1912 Olympic Games and won bronze medals.
However, after World War I the fortunes of HVV Den Haag began to decline, with other clubs from The Hague, such as HBS and ADO Den Haag gaining an upper hand in strength.
Its last appearance in the top flight of Dutch football came in 1932, and when professional football was introduced in the Netherlands in 1954, the club remained an amateur team.
Though they play today in the lower divisions of Dutch football, the past glory of HVV Den Haag is remembered and cherished as they wear a gold star on their shirts to mark the 10 championships of the country.
Their glory days are behind them, yet one should not look over the contribution of HVV Den Haag in the history of Dutch football.
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5. Sparta Rotterdam (6 Eredivisie Titles)
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football club in the Netherlands and, therefore, holds a unique place in the history of Dutch football.
The team was established as a cricket club back in 1888 but soon after changed its orientation to football and became one of the pioneering powers of the game’s development in the Netherlands.
The first golden era came for Sparta at the beginning of the 20th century, when in 1909 they managed to win their first national championship. During the following six seasons, they would claim five more titles and make them one of the main teams in the Dutch football scene at that time.
The first golden era for Sparta came at the start of the 20th century when they won their first national championship in 1909. In the following six years, they took five more titles and became one of the dominant teams in Dutch football.
Success back then gave Sparta the nickname “the eternal number 2,” mainly due to their frequent second-place positions but with good reason nonetheless.
In 1959, Sparta won their sixth and last Eredivisie title ending the reign of the club on top of Dutch football. After this period, the club has been in a decline moving from the very top league of Dutch football-Eredivisie-back and forth into Eerste Divisie-the second tier of Dutch football.
However, Sparta still competes at the highest level, and their promotion back to the Eredivisie during the 2018-19 season gives something for their loyal fans to hope for.
While Sparta Rotterdam has not had great recent success, its historical importance shouldn’t be overlooked.
Having been among the very first clubs that introduced this concept of goals with crossbars and nets from the United Kingdom into Dutch football, this places them among the most successful clubs in Eredivisie history, due to their role in growing and developing football in the Netherlands.
