"What do you have to offer right now as Raymond? He’s not really selling himself": Partnership between Van Barneveld and manager ends which could equal trouble ahead

The partnership between Raymond van Barneveld and manager Ben de Kok has been terminated again and, according to Vincent van der Voort, that could have major consequences for the five-time world champion’s future. In the podcast Darts Draait Door the former professional reacted to the news that the two have split up once more, something he says comes at a particularly unfortunate moment.

Van der Voort heard the news directly from De Kok and was not surprised the collaboration fell apart again, but he is concerned about what this means for Van Barneveld.

“I got a message from his manager that they’ve stopped working together,” Van der Voort said. “Some things happened and it’s no longer working. They’ve both gone their separate ways and now we have to wait and see what consequences that will have for Raymond. This is yet another thing you don’t want. They were together for a very long time and this was already the third time they’d teamed up.”

The two had worked together several times in the past and, after earlier splits, kept finding their way back to each other. According to Van der Voort, that chance seems slim this time. “All of this costs energy and creates hassle. That’s not ideal. Is Raymond now going to look for new management or will he do it himself? I don’t know, but this isn’t good.”

The situation is extra complicated, Van der Voort says, because a manager in darts often invests in his player. Costs for travel, hotels, and support are usually advanced and must later be recouped through prize money.

That is precisely where things are tight for Van Barneveld at the moment, as he is going through a difficult spell on the oche. At the Euro Tour in Belgium last week, he was knocked out in the first round after a clear defeat to Boris Krcmar.

“What do you have to offer right now as Raymond? He’s not really selling himself. If you step in as a manager, it’s a disguised investment. Do the math on what he has to earn to be able to pay someone like that. It’s a tricky situation. Where are you going to recoup the money for that person? He’s very much in the line of fire,” said Van der Voort.

Meanwhile, other ways are being explored to get Van Barneveld back on track. Former top footballer Rafael van der Vaart has come forward with an offer to help, mainly on the physical and mental fronts.

According to Van der Voort, an initial plan is already on the table, but it’s not yet clear what it will look like. “An initial proposal has been made from their side,” Van der Voort revealed. “In terms of getting fit and so on. But we first have to wait and see when Raymond goes public with it. What the plan will be then.”

Van der Voort witnessed up close last weekend how tough things are for Van Barneveld right now. It’s not just the results that disappoint; his stage presence also worries him. “His demeanor was nothing, like a wounded animal,” Van der Voort observed in Belgium. “Not a shadow of the Van Barneveld we used to know. It’s a recurring story. This isn’t working; continuing like this makes no sense at all.”