Learn more about the events and historical figures behind the names of Ajax, Galatasaray, Olympiacos, Lazio, Atalanta and Ferencváros.
Some of Europe’s most prominent teams have names whose meaning extends far beyond the soccer field. Whether they honor heroes, regions or a club’s roots, many of these historic teams have stories that date back thousands of years.
Here is more on the origins of their names.
Ajax
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax was founded in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, on March 18, 1900. The club is named after the legendary Greek hero Ajax, who fought alongside Achilles during the Trojan War.
After Achilles was fatally wounded in the heel by an arrow fired by Paris, Ajax and Odysseus—also known as Ulysses—fought over the right to wear the fallen hero’s armor.
Odysseus prevailed because he was considered a particularly gifted speaker. Ajax subsequently descended into madness and began killing the Greek army’s animals, believing they were Trojans. When he regained his senses, he took his own life in despair.
Major honors: 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 1 UEFA Cup, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Intercontinental Cups and 36 Dutch championships
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü was founded in Istanbul on October 14, 1905. The club was established after a meeting between students at the prestigious Galatasaray High School, which was considered an educational institution for Turkey’s elite at the time.
Classes at the school were taught in French. The school is located in the Galata district, whose name is linked to the Galatians. This Celtic people migrated in the third century B.C. from what is now France to the region that is now Turkey.
The second part of the club’s name, “Saray,” means “palace.”
Galatasaray is based in the European part of Istanbul and faces crosstown rival Fenerbahçe, which is based on the Asian side of the Turkish metropolis, in the derby known as the “Intercontinental Derby.”
Major honors: 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, 2000 UEFA Super Cup and 25 Turkish championships
Olympiacos
Founded on March 10, 1925, Olympiakos Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós is not from Athens, as is often assumed, but from Piraeus.
The coastal city sits directly next to the Greek capital and has served as Athens’ port since the fifth century B.C. The athlete wearing a laurel wreath on the club crest represents the Olympic ideals of ancient Greece, where athletes were celebrated as true national heroes.
The rivalry with Panathinaikos is partly linked to the meaning of the two clubs’ names. Panathinaikos literally means “Pan-Athenian,” or “from all of Athens.” Olympiacos, by contrast, is often viewed as a club from the outskirts of the Athens metropolitan area rather than as a team from the city itself.
That is why the matchup between the two teams is known as the “Derby of the Eternal Enemies.”
Major honors: 2023–24 UEFA Conference League and 48 Greek championships
Lazio
Founded on January 9, 1900, Società Sportiva Lazio takes its name from the Italian region of Lazio. The historic region is located in central Italy and includes the capital, Rome.
During the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the region was known as Latium. It was home to the Latins, the people from whom the Romans later emerged.
The eagle on the club crest was also featured on the Roman military standard carried into battle by the legions. The symbol was so important that the aquilifer—the soldier responsible for carrying the standard—was chosen for his courage and integrity. He also received twice the pay of an ordinary soldier.
Major honors: 1999 UEFA Super Cup and Serie A championships in 1973–74 and 1999–2000
Atalanta
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio was founded in Bergamo on October 17, 1907. The club takes its name and imagery from a figure in Greek mythology known for her extraordinary agility and speed.
Atalanta received a prophecy stating that she must never marry because marriage would lead to her downfall. To protect his daughter, her father—convinced of her athletic abilities—declared that only a man who could defeat her in a footrace could ask for her hand in marriage.
One of her suitors, Hippomenes, asked the goddess Aphrodite for help. She gave him three golden apples and instructed him to drop them on the ground during the race.
Atalanta was so fascinated by the beauty of the apples that she stopped to pick them up. Hippomenes consequently won the race and earned the right to marry the athlete.
Major honors: 2023–24 UEFA Europa League and 1962–63 Coppa Italia
Ferencváros
Hungary’s most successful club, Ferencvárosi Torna Club, was founded on May 3, 1899, in Budapest’s Ferencváros district, which shares the club’s name.
In Hungarian, the name of the district literally means “Francis Town.” It honors King Francis—“Ferenc” in Hungarian—who was also the emperor of the Austrian Empire, king of Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia and one of Europe’s most powerful rulers at the time.
The name also brings to mind one of the greatest players in Hungarian soccer history: Ferenc Puskás. Interestingly, Puskás never played for Ferencváros.
Major honors: 36 Hungarian championships
