Vincent van der Voort has spoken candidly on the Darts Draait Door podcast about the current approach of close friend Michael van Gerwen. The former top darter made it clear he does not support all of the three-time world champion’s choices, particularly when it comes to skipping certain tournaments.
The discussion was prompted by yet another European Tour weekend with multiple top players absent. According to Van der Voort, that is increasingly affecting the image of those tournaments. "It's not an isolated incident, but a structural problem that everyone just cancels," he said on the podcast. “You're basically watching a B-level tournament.” That was mainly a reference to the absence of big names at some Euro Tours, while the prize money remains the same as at events where the full world elite is present. Van der Voort believes that creates imbalances on the tour.
Even so, he pointed out that players ultimately make their own choices. That brought Van Gerwen into the conversation, as he opted not to play a Euro Tour weekend. "That's why you could say it was a really good choice by Van Gerwen not to go here when the rest aren't there. That was very well planned," said Van der Voort. Still, the Dutchman would have preferred Van Gerwen to structure his schedule differently. According to Van der Voort, the Euro Tour was exactly where there was a major chance to gain confidence and ranking money. “Shouldn't he have been here?” the podcast stated. “If you look at this field, the chance is a bit bigger.” Van der Voort was clear about it. “But given his situation, shouldn't he have withdrawn from next week's event instead?” He was referring to Van Gerwen’s participation in the Nordic Darts Masters. On the podcast, that tournament was even jokingly called a “bitterballen tournament,” pointing to the exhibition nature of the World Series events.
According to Van der Voort, Van Gerwen would have been better off prioritising ranking events on the ProTour. “Surely you just say you're playing the Euro Tour and going away afterwards? But he was very steadfast and said he wanted to go on vacation with his children.” Van der Voort confirmed he tried to change Van Gerwen’s mind, but without success. “He was very confident and resolute about it. He just said: I’m going on vacation with my kids that week.” Although Van der Voort stressed that it is ultimately entirely Van Gerwen’s choice, he hinted that he would personally take a different path. "It is his career. If I were his manager, I would say that we weren't going to do this," he said. “Then I would say that it doesn't make much sense to continue like this.”
Van der Voort did make it clear he is not officially Van Gerwen’s manager or advisor. “But I give him advice and help him where I can. As friends.” Still, there was a clear note of concern in his words. “Right now, he isn't doing things that I say I believe in.” According to Van der Voort, the responsibility ultimately lies with Van Gerwen himself. “It’s his career. Ultimately, he will be judged on his performance, not me.”