"I don't like his voice but I've got nothing against the guy" - Nathan Aspinall clarifies controversial comments on operatic referee Franz Engerer

Nathan Aspinall secured his place in the third round of the 2025 European Darts Open with a hard-fought 6–4 victory over Bradley Brooks. The Englishman had to dig deep in a match defined by sweltering heat and missed match darts, but ultimately emerged victorious. Speaking exclusively to Dartsnews.de after the match, he opened up about the gruelling conditions, his recent criticism of PDC referee Franz Engerer, and the mental battles that have brought him to the brink throughout his career.

Aspinall was visibly relieved when his winning dart finally landed in double 5. “Yeah, very relieved. I just wanted to get off and go and get in a cold shower. It was probably the hottest conditions I’ve ever played in. And I’m not even lying – that was really, really hot,” said the former UK Open champion.

Despite the stifling heat, he praised the crowd atmosphere in Leverkusen – though he hinted it might be different in the next round. “Might be a bit different tomorrow 'cause I think I’ve got a German either way,” he laughed, referring to his upcoming tie with Ricardo Pietreczko.

Aspinall admitted the conditions did affect his grip during the match. “It does slip out your hands quite regular. But the heat is the same for everybody. You can’t say it’s different for me or any other opponent… There’s nothing you can do about it. The weather’s been nice, ain’t it? So I’m glad I got two shirts.”

The 32-year-old has recently made changes to the points on his darts to counter a persistent issue. “You’ve all seen my comment about the boards being not up to standard in my opinion. So I’ve had to work with Target to try and find a point where my darts stick in how I want them. That’s why I’ve changed the points – because the boards are still the same. They’ve not been addressed, so I’ve had to address it myself.”

Aspinall's earlier comments about referee Franz Engerer caused some buzz in Germany. In Leverkusen, he clarified his stance.“They weren't bad quotes?” he smiled. “I said, I just don’t like his voice. That’s my opinion, you know. I don’t particularly like Russ [Bray] either – you know what I mean? It goes on forever. But I’ve got nothing against the guy. Everyone speaks very highly of him.”

“Ideally for me, I like the people that I know and trust. Obviously you’re here this weekend, Kirk’s here… It’s nothing against the guy, but I trust those refs. It’s like anything in life – you’ve got to get used to them. So if he’s shouting tomorrow, fair play. We’ll give it a go.”

Just two days earlier, Aspinall suffered a narrow semi-final defeat to Luke Humphries in the Premier League Play-Offs – but there was no sign of lingering disappointment. “No, because I played really well. If I’d walked on there and played poor, then I wouldn’t have been here. But I played a very, very good game. Me and Luke Humphries, I think it was the game of the night – and I got beat by the winner. I know what went wrong. There were two darts at tops early on in the contest… if they go in, it could have been a different story. But full credit to Luke – he played fantastic.”

Despite his ups and downs, Aspinall continues to push forward, having overcome major physical and mental obstacles throughout his career – including a serious wrist injury and even symptoms of dartitis. “I’m very, very strong mentally. I have a fantastic team around me – sports psychologist, hypnotherapy, a fantastic girlfriend, fantastic children, fantastic family. I have an amazing life.”

“When things aren’t going well and you have these injuries, you have these setbacks, I look at what I’ve got in life and that keeps you fighting. People have no idea… I get a lot of stick about moaning all the time, but honestly, the stuff I’ve gone through would end most people. And I’ve had it about four or five times.”

He referenced fellow players whose careers didn’t survive similar challenges. “Dartitis ended Mark Webster – a good friend of mine. Injuries have ended other players’ careers. But I keep fighting. I love darts. I love traveling the world. I love playing in front of crowds, walking out and getting cheered on. It’s amazing. So I’ll just keep battling and remember why I started in the first place,” he concludes. “I’m not doing bad for a guy that’s injured and got dartitis.”