"If he has a strong run at the World Championship": Max Hopp sees Premier League participation for Martin Schindler

With title wins at the 2024 International Darts Open, Swiss Darts Trophy, and Austrian Darts Open, Martin Schindler has etched his name into the history books as the first German to win three stage titles on the PDC circuit. Thanks to these triumphs and a string of consistent performances across the tour, The Wall now sits at a career-high 18th in the PDC Order of Merit—higher than any German before him—and is firmly on course to break into the world’s top 16.

Schindler’s meteoric rise has prompted speculation about a potential debut in the Premier League Darts, a topic discussed during a recent Sport1 segment featuring former World Cup of Darts teammates Max Hopp and Robert Marijanovic.

"I really think Martin has a very good chance of making the Premier League," said Hopp, who believes Schindler could even be a top 10 player following the World Darts Championship. “A lot of people overlook the live rankings, but if you look closely, Martin doesn’t have to defend anything in the major events he’s already qualified for, while others do. That gives him a big advantage.”

Hopp highlighted several key tournaments that could boost Schindler's ranking further: "We’ve got the World Matchplay, the European Championship, and potentially the Grand Slam. There are plenty of opportunities for Martin to rack up prize money, while others are under pressure to defend what they earned last year."

“Right now, he’s 18th in the world. It’s very realistic that he could be 12th going into Ally Pally and pushing for the top 10. If he has a strong run at the World Championship, a Premier League call-up becomes a serious possibility.”

Robert Marijanovic, also part of the Sport1 panel, echoed Hopp’s assessment. “I agree,” said The Robstar. “A good run at the Worlds doesn’t have to be a semi-final or final. Even a quarter-final could be enough. If he’s still in that position by January 1st, his chances will be strong.”

Marijanovic also reflected on Gabriel Clemens’ historic 2023 campaign, when The German Giant became the first German to reach the semi-finals of the World Championship—yet was overlooked for Premier League selection.

“From my point of view, and I thought this at the time, not picking Gabriel for the Premier League after that performance was a mistake by the PDC,” Marijanovic said. “I don’t think they’ll make the same mistake twice.”

“That was the moment to bring in a German. Not just to expand the market or boost revenue, but because we finally had a German player who could compete at that level. Sometimes you’ve got to push things a bit to get the ball rolling.”

Marijanovic believes a Premier League debut could serve as another major catalyst in Schindler’s career. It’s worth remembering that just a few years ago, Schindler had lost his Tour Card and was languishing in obscurity. Since regaining his spot on tour, the Strausberg native has gone from strength to strength.

“A Premier League selection would be the cherry on top for Martin,” Marijanovic concluded. “It could really elevate his game even further.”