Contrary to tradition, the Premier League Darts line-up was not announced after the World Darts Championship final between Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen, which was won by 'Bullyboy'.
The announcement will come later in January. However, major German newspaper BILD already knows for sure that Gabriel Clemens will be among the chosen ones.
''Our star Gabriel Clemens has reached the semi-finals at the World Darts Championship after a win over world number one Gerwyn Price. But that is not all. The success has even more implications. According to BILD sources, Clemens' World Cup performance has earned him a ticket to the Premier League Darts, an elite competition to which players are invited,'' the usually reliable German BILD reports.
Only the four best players in the world are sure of their place in the Premier League. These players are Michael Smith, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price. In addition, there are four wildcards, awarded by the PDC and English sports broadcaster Sky Sports to players who have performed well.
Why the PDC would like Clemens to be there, according to BILD? ''The PDC wants to further conquer the German market, so they need a German star. With Clemens, they have found it. The matches will be played mainly in England, but also in Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany. On 30 March, the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin will be the playing venue. In 2022, the final even took place here.''