Michael van Gerwen cracked some critical notes about the current generation of top German darters in an interview with Germany's Sport1.
Gabriel Clemens and
Martin Schindler both got a review from the three-time world champion.
According to Van Gerwen, Clemens, who managed to reach the semi-finals at the 2023
World Darts Championship, does not belong to the absolute elite of the darting scene. 'Mighty Mike' considers 'The German Giant' more of a second tier player. "If he was a top player, he would be playing in the Premier League. Or would have won big tournaments,'' Van Gerwen stated.
The Dutchman thinks Clemens is a lot better than his compatriot Martin Schindler however. "Schindler is obviously a good player, but he doesn't have the balls that Gabriel Clemens has. There is something missing," Van Gerwen said of "The Wall".
Van Gerwen did, however, call his German darts colleague a "nice guy." Schindler had come to Van Gerwen prior to the World Darts Championship with the request to train together. However, that did not happen because the agenda of the Dutchman was too full.
Finally, Van Gerwen issued a warning for the further development of Germany's top darters. "The players are pressured too early because there is a great desire for good German players. You have to bring them up slowly,'' Van Gerwen concluded.