"I fully sympathise with his situation" - Co Stompé clarifies controversial criticism of Michael van Gerwen

Co Stompé has sought to clarify his recent remarks about Michael van Gerwen, after they sparked considerable debate within the darts community. The former professional player, now a pundit for Viaplay, insists his words were taken out of context and misrepresented in the media.

The controversy stems from comments Stompé made last month during a segment on the Dutch entertainment programme Shownieuws. Discussing Van Gerwen’s current personal struggles — the three-time world champion is in the midst of a divorce — Stompé appeared to question whether he would be able to return to the sport’s highest level. The remarks drew criticism from both fans and figures within the game.

The issue resurfaced during Stompé’s commentary on Van Gerwen’s match against Rob Cross at the Poland Darts Masters, prompting him to address the fallout directly.

“It was portrayed very differently to how I actually said it,” Stompé explained. “What I said was: ‘If he returns to form.’ But because it was a clip used for RTL Boulevard, they added a different caption and headline. Had the entire segment been shown, it would’ve been clear what I meant.”

In a telling slip, Stompé confused Shownieuws with RTL Boulevard, highlighting his own uncertainty about how the clip was edited and distributed. Regardless, he maintains that his comments were purely about Van Gerwen’s form on the oche.

“I was referring to his sporting level — his form hasn’t been great for some time,” he said. “And now, given what he’s going through in his personal life, that’s completely understandable. I fully sympathise with his situation.”

Van Gerwen was said to be affected by the comments, according to close friend and fellow Dutchman Vincent van der Voort. Speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast, Van der Voort defended his long-time friend.

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?” he said. “You’re so far removed from someone’s personal life, and yet you make statements like that. There’s just no need.”

Van Gerwen’s recent performances have done little to silence critics. He suffered early exits at both the World Series of Darts event in New York — where he was beaten by Gerwyn Price — and at the tournament in Gliwice, Poland, where Rob Cross ended his campaign.

With the prestigious World Matchplay in Blackpool looming — the biggest ranking event outside of the World Championship — Van Gerwen will be hoping to rediscover his best form. The tournament gets underway in less than two weeks, and the Dutchman knows he’ll need to raise his game if he’s to challenge for the title and reassert his dominance on the sport’s biggest stages.