The Big Three (Turkish: Üç Büyükler) or Byzantium[1][2][3][4] (Turkish: Bizans, Bizans takımları, derogatorily) is the colloquial name given to Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, the three most successful sports clubs in Turkey. They all are based in Istanbul.
Galatasaray is the team with the most championships the biggest club in Turkey with 24 championships. Fenerbahce have won 19 championships and Beşiktaş have won 16 Turkish championships. None of the trio have been relegated since 1959. The worst places the side have finished in league history were 10th for Fenerbahçe in 1980–81, 11th for Beşiktaş in 1975–76, and 13th for Galatasaray in 2021–22.[5]
The big three started to compete in Europe after the 1950s. Galatasaray is only Turkish team to have won a European trophy, having won both the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2000.
A reported 90% of the fans in Turkey support the Big Three. A survey by a fan-token platform showed support for Galatasaray in 18?out of 81 provinces of Turkey while its crosstown rival Fenerbahçe had the highest number of fans in 65 provinces, and Beşiktaş, the other member of Turkish football's "Big Three", had more fans than other clubs only in the eastern province of Iğdır. According to the survey, 40% of the fans support Galatasaray, 35% support Fenerbahçe and 20% support Beşiktaş.[6][7] Galatasaray is the football club with the most fans in Turkey.
• Total: Galatasaray with 26 higher finishes, Fenerbahçe with 25 higher finishes, Beşiktaş with 15 higher finishes (as of the end of the 2023–24 season).
^"Tribüne Bakarken Golü Kaçırmak (Ümit ALAN)". Tribüne Bakarken Golü Kaçırmak (Ümit ALAN) ~ Birgün Kitap. Retrieved 2024-06-22. Bu yüzden İstanbul medyasınca "Üç Büyükler" diye tabir edilmelerine rağmen, kimi Anadolu kulübü taraftarlarınca "Bizans" diye anılan Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray gibi takımların başarı hikâyeleri -yazının ilerleyen kısmında değineceğim bir örnek hariç- çok da farklı gelmiyor kulağa.
^"Bunun adı Bizans oyunu". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). 2017-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-22. Ve, en çok da, haksız yere iftiraya uğrayıp "ırkçı, saldırgan" ilan edildikleri için şampiyon olmalarını istiyorum. Ben kalbi, Trabzon için atan bir İzmirliyim… Çünkü, eğer Göztepem yoksa, Bizans'ı kim tahtından indirecekse, onu tutarım… Bu seneki Anadolu kahramanım Bursa… Forması odamda asılı. [...If my Göztepe isn't (there), I support who will dethrone Byzantium...]