At the moment the World Cup of Darts takes place in Frankfurt. This tournament is broadcasted by DAZN and during the final matches Max Hopp is co-commentator there after he had co-hosted the group phase for the Dutch channel Viaplay.
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There he also came into contact with Vincent van der Voort, among others, who had commented on the conflict between Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri Van den Bergh in the run-up. This was the reason for Elmar Paulke to ask the German if he had more information about it.
"I have," Hopp replied. "As a player, you don't reveal too much private information about other players. There was a real row, it's a really long story. Van der Voort and van Barneveld also said that if they did, then they (Huybrechts and Van den Bergh, editor's note) had to make it public. That's when things really hit the fan between them on a private level."
At a later point, the Maximiser came back to the topic: "It's such a story with those two. Kim took Dimitri under his wing and made him a bit taller. In the last two or three years, there has been a bit of trouble, simply because Dimitri has become the number one in Belgium. Kim once said he wasn't grateful enough for the knowledge he had acquired through him."
"It had been brewing for a long time and now it has really cracked," Hopp added in conclusion.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.