“He was the first person I ever played a doubles tournament with” – Martin Schindler on Marcel Hausotter’s Easter miracle

“Super Hausi, Olé” echoed around the Zenith in Munich on Sunday evening. Marcel Hausotter had just thrown seven perfect darts and produced a world-class 11-darter to take a 4–3 lead against Jonny Clayton.

In the end, the Berliner narrowly lost out to the Premier League star in a deciding leg, going down 5–6. But one thing could no longer be taken away from him: he had become the story of the 2026 German Darts Grand Prix.

Few players left a mark on the weekend in Munich quite like the national qualifier, who won over the crowd with his courage, enjoyment of the game, and remarkable composure.

As one of four national qualifiers, Hausotter arrived in Munich aiming to make his third appearance on a European Tour stage, following previous outings in 2014 and 2023. After 22 years in darts, his big moment finally came on Saturday evening: a 6–4 victory over five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld secured his first-ever European Tour win.

The reward was another appearance on the big stage – this time against Premier League contender Clayton. And Hausotter seized the opportunity impressively. In front of a passionate crowd, he raised his level even further and performed at genuine ProTour standard.

His final three winning legs came in 12, 11 and 12 darts – including a nine-darter attempt. He finished with an average of 93 and a 50 percent checkout rate.

By this point, the Munich crowd had found their new hero. Chants of “Super Hausi, Super Hausi, hey, hey!”, “We want to see Hausi!” and repeated cries of “Super Hausi, Olé!” rang around the venue. Fans stood on benches, drinks flew through the air after big legs – one of the rare moments across the weekend where the full force of the European Tour atmosphere truly came alive in Munich.

Hausotter had already acknowledged that support the day before, telling Dartsnews.de:

The reaction within the darts scene to Hausotter’s performance was just as warm. Martin Schindler, who has known him for years, shared a personal anecdote in an interview with Dartsnews.de (YouTube), recalling their early days together in Berlin.

“I was really pleased for Hausi, that he performed so well and so relaxed. He can play very well, and he showed that,” said Schindler. “I’ve known him for years. A little anecdote: he was the first person I ever played a doubles tournament with in Berlin. We finished third – I think I missed three match darts. And he said: ‘Hey Martin, we finished third, that’s a good result.’ And I was just like: ‘I’m so sorry!’”

The two also shared several years at the oche together. “We played together for a few years with the Vikings,” Schindler added. “He’s a very good player. Once he finds his flow and really gets going, he can turn it on.”

That flow was exactly what the Munich crowd witnessed over the weekend – turning Marcel Hausotter into the emotional centrepiece of a tournament that meant far more to him than just another appearance on the European Tour.