"He gets booed, nobody likes him here – so why should he come?"– German fans take Luke Littler to task amid obvious European Tour boycott

A “heel turn” in professional wrestling describes the sudden shift of a character from celebrated hero to villain. In recent months, the term has cropped up more and more in darts coverage as well—linked to the name Luke Littler. The near-unquestioned popularity he once enjoyed among fans now seems increasingly up for debate.

In Germany, that question mark has long since turned into an exclamation point. At the German Darts Grand Prix 2025 in Munich, Littler announced in an Instagram story after his exit that he would no longer play tournaments in Germany—and largely stuck to it. Since then, he has not appeared on German soil at European Tour events and has only taken to the oche at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, the European Championship in Dortmund, and during the Premier League night in Berlin.

DartsNews was on site in Munich over the weekend—at the very venue where Littler’s Germany boycott began. Reason enough to ask the fans: How is the world number one perceived here? Is Littler a good figurehead for the sport? And can a player of his stature really afford to avoid Germany? Below is a selection of voices from the Zenith.

That Luke Littler still has plenty of supporters in Germany became clear right away in the conversation with Dirk from Ingolstadt. “I’m a fan, I have to be honest,” he said—even if he didn’t like the Englishman’s absence in Munich. “I’m a bit disappointed that he isn’t coming to Munich.”

Especially considering Littler’s status as world number one, Dirk was critical of the decision. “You really can’t afford a boycott like that. You have to be professional enough to say: This is my job. He earns his money with it. I can understand that he’s under stress, but it’s clear he’s avoiding Germany.”

At the same time, he stressed that Littler’s sporting class is beyond doubt for him: “He’s very consistent and an absolute consummate professional.” However, he was conflicted over the much-discussed Premier League incident with Gian van Veen: “You have to be professional enough to accept a defeat. Overall, I’m disappointed—especially compared to other players who sometimes put on a brave face.” Still, Littler remains “definitely a good poster boy for the sport” in his view.

Robert and Florian from Pfarrkirchen struck a similarly nuanced tone. Robert first made it clear: “Even if many don’t like him, he’s the best.” At the same time, there are situations “I also have my issues with.” He took a particularly dim view of Littler’s absence from Germany: “As number one, you can’t allow that. I would have liked to see him today. You can’t be surprised then.”

Florian also pointed to the special responsibility of a world number one. “You really have to rise above it if you want to be the world number one.” Littler’s position is fully deserved, but his dominance sometimes saps the sport’s tension for him: “I’m almost always rooting for him to lose now, because that happens much less often than a win.” His demeanour can also seem inappropriate at times: “As a young player who nobody knew three years ago, you really shouldn’t be carrying on like that.” With an eye on crowd reactions, Robert added: “If people are already booing during the walk-on—I’ll never get that.” Florian saw a stark contrast particularly compared with Gian van Veen: “Against someone almost the same age, you really shouldn’t leave yourself that exposed.”

The group from Uehlfeld was even more critical. Zwanni was impressed by the Englishman’s level, though: “I think it’s great that someone so young is that good,” but he cautioned that the situation in Germany is tricky: “I think you have to treat Littler with kid gloves here for now.”

David focused on the significance of Littler’s status as world number one: “As the world number one, you really can’t afford a Germany boycott.” You can partly factor in his age, but that doesn’t change the overall impression much: “He’s a fantastic darts player and has taken the sport to a new level, but he’ll never be my favourite player.”

Moritz also saw issues mainly in his demeanor away from the oche: “He’s a magnificent player, but he doesn’t come across as likeable.” His handling of criticism in particular strikes many fans as irritating: “Then he stands there and says: They’re so mean to me. I find that a shame.”

Paul, meanwhile, pointed to the Premier League incident with van Veen as an example of missing maturity: “I had the feeling he might still need a year or two to grow as a person.” Littler’s reaction afterward especially surprised him: “Something like that can happen on stage – but to take another public swipe on Instagram afterward was unnecessary.” Moritz added: “That’s where you notice the difference to van Veen. He seems clearly more mature.” Paul even drew a historical comparison: “Maybe Littler will be the next GOAT – but maybe also a touch less likeable than Phil Taylor.”

Among Munich fans, a critical yet nuanced view also prevailed. Casian made it clear: “In terms of gameplay he’s outstanding, but as a person absolutely unlikeable.” The Premier League incident especially reinforced that impression. “You could maybe excuse his age a year or two ago – not anymore.” His verdict on the Germany boycott was equally unequivocal: “As number one you can’t allow yourself that.”

Antoine saw the situation a bit more nuanced. “You can’t fault him on the oche, but as a person I’m not a fan,” he explained – while showing understanding for the difficult overall situation: “On the Germany topic I partly understand him, but from our position it’s hard to judge.”

Markus from Augsburg, in turn, emphasized Littler’s sporting significance for modern darts. “I do think he has taken the sport to a new level.” At the same time, he called for more understanding for the young Englishman: “He gets piled on a lot. Maybe at some point you’re bound to snap.” From his perspective, Littler’s decision to avoid Germany can also be understood: “He gets booed, nobody likes him here – so why should he come?”

Jürgen from Regensburg, however, was markedly more critical. “The lad still has a lot to learn,” he stated. He sees shortcomings especially in his public image: “I don’t see the maturity there.” His behavior towards Gian van Veen reinforced that impression. He also rejected the young-age argument: “If you say you won’t come to Germany anymore because the fans are bad – that’s a problem.” Given the growing importance of the German market in particular, such a step is problematic: “The sport is booming in this country. As number one you can’t afford a Germany boycott.”

The voices from Munich paint a strikingly clear picture: hardly anyone doubts Littler’s class on the oche – quite the opposite. Yet his role as the face of a new darts generation is being viewed more critically by many fans.

A visible line runs between admiration for his extraordinary talent and skepticism about his demeanor. Whether this will truly become a lasting “heel turn” or merely a snapshot of an exceptional career phase will likely be decided in the coming months and years.