“Was it a competition?”
Darts superstar mocks German opponents
Updated 12/29/2025 – 11:54 amReading time: 2 minutes
Michael van Gerwen easily beats German World Cup debutant Arno Merk. The words he then chooses for his opponent and the German darters are not very flattering.
Former world champion Michael van Gerwen confidently reached the round of 16 of the Darts World Cup on Sunday evening. In the 4-1 win, the Dutchman hardly gave German World Cup debutant Arno Merk a chance.
This meant that the last of the four remaining Germans was eliminated from the tournament within 27 hours. After the match, “MvG” was verbally aggressive – towards his opponent and German darts professionals in general.
“Was it a competition? Not for me,” scoffed van Gerwen, looking at the game. “I didn’t have to play particularly well to beat him.” Although Merk was able to shorten the gap in the third set with two high finishes (145 and 120 points), he ultimately was unable to endanger van Gerwen.
“Of course he won a set, but I played well in that set too,” the three-time world champion continued. According to him, he could have “accessed even more” if it “had been necessary.”
Van Gerwen also showed his usual self-confidence in an interview with TV station Sport1. “He (Merk, editor’s note) should have done a little more. I think he was too impressed with my game and the way I played,” he said after the duel. Some fans on social networks interpreted this as arrogance.
The 36-year-old also emphasized that he did not know Merk before the game. “I knew he won the German Super League. But I’m not impressed by anyone. When you’re impressed, it’s a kind of fear. And I’m never afraid – of anyone,” said van Gerwen at the press conference.