Peter Wright takes cheeky swipe at Luke Littler ahead of European Championship: “He doesn’t like the German crowd”

Peter Wright couldn’t resist a playful jab at Luke Littler after edging Ricardo Pietreczko 6–5 at the German Darts Championship — joking that the teenage star “doesn’t like the German crowd” as the countdown to next week’s European Championship begins.

The former world champion rolled back the years in Hildesheim, producing one of his sharpest performances of 2025. Wright hit a 15-darter in every leg he won, landed six of his ten doubles, and sealed victory with a classy 64 finish while Pietreczko waited on a double.

The win gave Snakebite a timely boost ahead of the European Championship in Dortmund, an event he has lifted twice before. Speaking after his match, Wright was in trademark mischievous mood.

“I don’t care – I’ve already booked my flight because I knew I would be in,” he said with a grin. “I’ve won it twice, like Rob Cross, and it would be nice to do it a third time. It will be interesting to see if Luke Littler turns up. Is he going to pull out? I don’t know, because he doesn’t like the German crowd. I love you all though – never mind him.”

Wright’s comments playfully reignited one of darts’ ongoing storylines — Littler’s uneasy relationship with the German audience, which has followed him through several European Tour events this year.

For Wright, though, the weekend was about rediscovering belief after a difficult season. The 55-year-old Scot, an eight-time major winner, has endured inconsistent form in 2025 and even dropped out of the world’s top 16. Before Hildesheim, he’d managed just one ProTour final and hadn’t reached the last 16 in his previous five majors.

Still, his battling display against Pietreczko hinted at a corner being turned. “It’s always hard to play Ricardo in front of his home fans,” Wright admitted. “But this is my stage, this is the place where I win. The atmosphere is amazing, and it’s nice to be fighting again.”

As ever, Wright couldn’t resist a bit of self-deprecating humour about his season’s struggles. “I’ve been laying over and having my belly tickled,” he laughed. “But I’m on my way back. I want to play darts again, I want to fight again. These guys around me inspire me – and I’m not too old for this game yet.”