22-04-2025
Luke Littler hints he will BOYCOTT tournaments in one country in cryptic social media post - after something he 'can't explain' happened there
Luke Littler has hinted he could boycott events in one country after being repeatedly booed there.
The World Champion felt the crowd's wrath on Monday night as he crashed out of semi-finals of the German Grand Prix in Munich.
After beating Joe Cullen and Peter Wright, the 18-year-old was dispatched 7-4 in the semis by Gian van Veen - despite having been 4-3 up.
Michael van Gerwen claimed the ultimate glory, and a £30,000 boost to his wallet, with an 8-5 win in the final to lift a record-extending 38th European Tour title.
Despite Van Gerwen's delight, Littler was less keen and deployed his own 'Nuke' in the form of a miffed social media post.
'Shouldn't have been in Munich but had to play anyway. Next one in Germany for me is Dortmund [in October] and I am glad to say that,' he wrote from the back seat of a car on Instagram.
He shared a fuming Instagram post from a back seat of a car saying he was 'glad' to stay away
Littler had been whistled and booed during his quarter-final victory over Joe Cullen, according to reports on social media.
To add insult to injury, the crowd inside the Kulturehalle Zenith cheered for Van Veen as he mounted an astonishing comeback.
And if he is only back in Germany for the European Championship in Dortmund in October, that means he will miss four events in the nation before then.
It comes after he was also booed at the Premier League night in Berlin earlier this month.
Littler was knocked out in the quarter-finals 6-2 by Chris Dobey in his worst display of the year as the crowd jeered - and he hit back with a finger to his ear.
The Warrington lad spurned 11 out of 13 checkout opportunities on a miserable night which leaves him with foul memories of German darts.
'I had a little headloss moment, as some of us players do,' he said that night.
'I just don't get it, and I can't explain it. Obviously, you do your walk-on, but then as soon as I got on stage, I started getting booed.
'I got booed in Hildesheim last year against Peter Wright on the European Tour. I was flying and then they started booing me and I lost. It's something we've all got to deal with.'
As for Van Gerwen, he was overjoyed with his experience after a difficult period.
He said: 'It definitely means a lot to me.
'We all know where I'm coming from. I've been battling my own battles lately. The last few weeks I'm playing poorly, I didn't do what I could and I know I've got it in me but you want to show it week after week.
'With the pressure on me all the time, sometimes I get annoyed with that, but I also put pressure on myself.
'To win this tournament means the world to me.'
He added: 'If you look at my tournament average and the way I played all tournament, I think it was great. Of course, in the final, there's pressure on my shoulders, but to do it and win it here in Munich, people don't have a clue. It means the world.
'I needed this. I really needed this.'
