Germany’s Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko, who stunned England’s Luke Littler and Luke Humphries with an 8-4 victory in the second round of the 2025 BetVictor World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt on June 14, criticized their home crowd for booing the English duo during their walk-on, per SportBible. The packed Eissporthalle jeered Littler and Humphries to the tune of ‘Vindaloo’ by Fat Les, creating a hostile atmosphere that Schindler later called “unfair,” telling Sky Sports post-match, “Booing two great players like Luke and Luke isn’t right… They’re champions, respect them,” per Sky Sports. Pietreczko echoed this, stating, “We want to win fair… The crowd was amazing, but the booing was too much,” per The Independent.
The German pair’s sportsmanship stood out as they outplayed the world No. 1 and No. 2, capitalizing on England’s missed doubles and shaky rhythm to lead 7-2 before sealing the upset, per @OfficialPDC. Schindler, reflecting on the win, emphasized their focus, saying, “We didn’t care about the crowd’s noise… We just played our game,” per Daily Record. Despite the booing, Littler remained composed, signing autographs pre-match, while Humphries laughed off the jeers, though their doubles chemistry faltered, per GB News.
Fans on X had mixed reactions: @SkySportsDarts praised Germany’s “classy” response, but @1_hunz argued the crowd’s hostility “rattled” England, per. The defeat, England’s earliest World Cup exit since 2010, sparked calls for better doubles preparation, with Humphries’ pre-tournament decision to skip practice with Littler under scrutiny, per SportBible. As Germany advance to the quarter-finals on June 15, their call for respect highlights the spirit of competition, per Runcorn and Widnes World.
