Five-time world darts champion SPLITS from manager for third time after winning just one game on ProTour this season

Raymond van Barneveld has parted company with his manager Ben de Kok for the third time, with the split coming at a deeply difficult moment in the 58-year-old’s career as concerns grow over his form, his stage presence and his future in the sport.

Former professional Vincent van der Voort, who heard the news directly from De Kok himself, broke the story on the Darts Draait Door podcast — and was candid about the gravity of the situation facing one of the most decorated players in darts history.

“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.”

Barney has had a torrid time at the oche of late, winning just one game on the ProTour this season. His most recent outing at the Belgian Darts Open ended in a first-round defeat to Boris Krcmar, and Van der Voort — who watched from close range in Belgium — described what he saw as deeply alarming.

“His demeanor was nothing, like a wounded animal,” Van der Voort said. “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.”

The timing of the split creates a particular problem. In darts, management relationships typically involve significant financial outlay from a manager — covering travel, hotels and support — on the understanding that prize money will eventually cover those costs. With Van Barneveld’s results so poor, Van der Voort questioned bluntly what the ‘Barney Army’ hero currently has to offer a prospective new manager.

“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,” Van der Voort said.

Van der Voort also acknowledged that the relationship had already survived two previous breaks. “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.”

There is at least one development on the horizon. Former top footballer Rafael van der Vaart has reportedly come forward with an offer to help Van Barneveld, primarily on the physical and mental side. “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.”

Van Barneveld, the five-time world champion — four times with the BDO (1998, 1999, 2003 and 2005) and once with the PDC (2007) — is one of the most recognisable figures in the sport’s history and is widely credited with helping make darts a mainstream passion in the Netherlands. He came out of retirement in 2021 after regaining his tour card at Q-School, but has been unable to recapture the form that made him a legend on the circuit.

He currently sits at 37th in the PDC world rankings, but his ProTour form, his early exits at the Worlds — losing 3-0 to Swiss player Stefan Bellmont in the first round in January — and now the loss of his management team paint a troubling picture of where he currently stands.