PDC European Championship: The race to Dortmund nears its end

Recent PDC activity leaves many players on the edge of their seats as we enter the busiest period for major events. The European Championships, held in Dortmund, may not be one of the 'Big 5' but it gives multiple chances to qualify and can provide a path to career changing success and ranking points.

With just three Euro Tour events left in 2025, the race for Dortmund is getting about as comfortable as a night on a pub fruit machine stool. Some big names are safe, some are hanging by a thread, and a few might want to rethink their calendars for late October because their European Championship plans are in serious jeopardy.

Last weekend Prague played host to the Czech Darts Open – the 11th pit stop on this 14-leg travelling circus. The maths is simple: the top 32 on the Euro Tour rankings qualify for the European Championship - a title currently in the possession of Ritchie Edhouse. The remaining three events – taking place in Hungary, Switzerland, and Germany – will decide who’s in the big dance and who’s left sulking at home watching it on stream with a takeaway.

Nathan Aspinall still leads the money list on £78,500. Hot on his heels but safely qualified are Luke Littler and Martin Schindler on £72,500 apiece. Humphries, meanwhile, casually won the whole thing, pocketing £30,000 and jumping from 15th to 4th on the rankings. He beat Josh Rock 8-5 in the final – Rock’s second straight runner-up finish after Antwerp – which nudged the Northern Irishman up a modest notch from 10th to 9th.

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And now the fun bit: the darting equivalent of celebrities you forgot were still around but might not make the cut. Raymond van Barneveld is currently sat in 33rd, one place outside the golden bubble. He lost to Krzysztof Ratajski in Prague, which hardly helped his cause. Barney fans should probably start lighting candles – he’s got three tournaments to claw his way back in.

Chris Dobey is clinging on in 30th after bombing out to Jermaine Wattimena in his opening Prague match. He’s just £2,500 clear of Barney. Considering Dobey is ranked 7th in the world overall, seeing him sweating for Euro qualification is a bit like spotting a Ferrari in the McDonald’s drive-thru queue.

Michael Smith’s story is even messier. The 2023 World Champ is stuck down in 35th, still hobbling around with injuries and nowhere near his former self. He wasn’t at Prague – which, funnily enough, won’t help his ranking. With three events left, there’s still time. Class is permanent and all that.

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And then there’s Rob Cross. Voltage is a two-time European Champion (2019, 2021) but right now he’s languishing in 36th. He’s £3,500 shy of the line and will need a spark in the final run-in. If not, Dortmund’s electricity bill will be a little lighter this year.

So here we are: three more stops, 32 golden tickets, and more pressure than a rookie stepping up against MVG. The Hungarian Darts Trophy, the Swiss Darts Trophy, and the German Darts Championship will decide who makes it. For some, it’ll be champagne in Dortmund. For others, it’ll be slippers, sofa darts, and bitter tweets without a symphony

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