"Less pressure on myself": Why Martin Schindler is suddenly thriving at the European Championship

As the top seed, Martin Schindler travelled to Dortmund for the 2024 European Championship—and was knocked out in the first round. A year later, “The Wall” returned as the second seed, but his campaign again ended in round two. Now, in 2026, the tide has turned in remarkable fashion: Schindler only secured his place at the European Championship at the last possible moment, finishing 31st in the European Tour Order of Merit. Two wins later, the German has reached the quarter-finals for the first time. This has happened just when expectations were far lower than in previous years.

After his dramatic 6–5 opening-round win over Wessel Nijman, Schindler also beat Jermaine Wattimena on Friday evening. He will now return to the oche in front of his home crowd on finals day. It was not a sparkling performance, but the 30-year-old took his key chances. At the subsequent press conference, including in comments to Dartsnews (YouTube), Schindler spoke with striking candour about the change in expectations, handling pressure and why he is keeping his feet on the ground despite two wins.

Schindler readily admitted that this year’s success may have something to do with his lower expectations.

“Compared with the last few years, there was definitely less pressure this time. I simply put less pressure on myself as well.”

As one of the top seeds, Schindler had entered the past two editions with very different expectations. His strong European Tour performances had raised hopes of a deep run at his home major. He had been unable to deliver on those hopes.

“From the outside, it’s easy to say, ‘Number one on the European Tour, number two on the European Tour,’ and naturally people want to see something to match that. But this game just isn’t that simple,” the German explained.

The situation is now completely different. In previous years, Schindler arrived as one of the favourites. This time, he had to wait until the final European Tour event to be sure of his place. He already considers simply making it to Dortmund a success.

“Two years ago, I went out in the first round as the number one, against van Duijvenbode. And now I’m here as number 31. I’m happy just to be here, and now I’m in the last eight.”

His conclusion could hardly be more fitting: “The game is crazy sometimes. I think that’s just how it works.”

Anyone expecting Martin Schindler to be completely satisfied after reaching the quarter-finals was in for a surprise. He was pleased to beat Wattimena, but once again gave himself a tough assessment of his own performance.

“It doesn’t feel like a convincing win, in terms of my game,” Schindler said, noting that his Dutch opponent had fallen well short of his best.

“Jermaine was definitely below his level today. For what we’ve seen from him this year, I just don’t think he played well.”

Schindler was equally unwilling to gloss over his own performance: “I wasn’t good either, but I took those chances when I had to, and I benefited a little from his mistakes. I’m still pleased to have won, though.”

That may be the key difference from some of his performances in recent months. Schindler did not need to play his best darts to win. Instead, he took the chances that came his way and held his nerve at the crucial moments.

He knows full well that he could have lost either of these two matches.

“Those weren’t performances where I’d say, ‘You’ll win your matches easily playing like that,’” he stressed. “Both Wessel and Jermaine were below their level. Maybe the situation got to them a bit. I don’t know.”

Still, Schindler knew what he had to do: “I had to win those matches. And I’m pleased that I did.”

After a season full of setbacks, reaching the quarter-finals at his home European Championship could have an impact beyond Dortmund. Asked what this weekend might mean for the coming weeks and months, Schindler struck a cautiously optimistic note.

“I think, overall, they have had a positive impact,” he explained. The two wins should do him good, even though he continues to assess his performances realistically.

Above all, though, Schindler seems no longer willing to let past disappointments define him.

“I’m really pleased these matches have gone my way. But honestly, right now I really don’t care about anything else. I’m looking ahead.”

His focus now turns to Saturday’s quarter-final. He could face Jonny Clayton again, provided Clayton first gets past Josh Rock.

Schindler knows the potential opponent well. “I do think it’s easier when you play someone you’ve faced several times before,” the German said. “We’ve had the pleasure of playing each other a few times.”

He is not yet giving much thought to the next round, however. First, Clayton and Rock have to settle their match, and Schindler knows that the next day brings a fresh start anyway.

“Tomorrow is a new day. The start time is also very different tomorrow. So, we’ll see.”

Asked about a possible quarter-final matchup, he had an answer that was both relaxed and emphatic: “They can sort it out between themselves first. I really don’t care about anything else right now.”

Perhaps that mindset is the key to Schindler’s surprise success in Dortmund. The favourite’s tag failed to take him far in the past two years, but now he is progressing through the tournament without inflated expectations. A major performance is still to come, but he has already secured the best European Championship result of his career.