Darts debacle in Frankfurt: Schindler and Pietreczko are eliminated!

Darts debacle in Frankfurt: Schindler and Pietreczko are eliminated!

In the semi-finals of the Darts Team World Cup, which took place in Frankfurt on June 15, 2025, the German players Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko were defeated 1:8 by Northern Ireland. This was the duo's first opportunity to reach the final of a major tournament that has been held since 2010. Northern Ireland, represented by Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney, celebrated a triumphant entry into the final and will face Welsh players Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton.

Schindler and Pietreczko were strong throughout the tournament, having previously won against Portugal (4:2), Singapore (4:0), England (8:4) and Australia (8:7). However, this semi-final defeat marks another missed opportunity for the German team, which was also eliminated in the semi-finals in 2020 and 2023. Back then they had lost first against Wales and later against Scotland. According to Bild, Germany started the semi-final unfavorably and quickly found themselves 0-5 behind, which reduced their chances enormously.

The semi-final statistics

During the game, the Germans only had five darts at doubles and were only able to throw a 180, while their average was 82 points. In contrast, Northern Irishman Josh Rock averaged an impressive 105 points per shot. The Northern Irish duo achieved an overall average of 96.82 points. Despite the disappointment of the defeat, Pietreczko was emotional but also spoke of pride at the exceptional performances they had shown in the tournament. The audience in the sold-out ice rink recognized their efforts with enthusiastic applause. Schindler also had positive words for the tournament, confirming that they worked well together and it was a good tournament for them.

Darts on the rise in Germany

Darts is becoming more and more popular in Germany. The number of members in the German Dart Association increased by 68 percent to almost 20,000 between 2018 and 2024. The active dart players are predominantly male and between 27 and 60 years old, while the proportion of women is around 8 percent. Five German players took part in the 2024 Darts World Cup for the first time, and the conditions for competition continue to develop through government funding and the integration of the sport into schools, especially in Bavaria.

These developments show that darts is increasingly being recognized as a serious competitive sport. At the Darts World Cup 2023, 901 perfect 180s were thrown, which is a new record. A further incentive for the German players to further consolidate themselves and become even stronger in international competition.

The next challenge lies ahead for Schindler and Pietreczko to convert the experiences from this tournament into future successes. Her journey so far shows that the potential is there to achieve even greater success in the darts world.