Niko Springer has admitted he had prepared for a completely different opponent before discovering Jonny Clayton would be his first-round rival at the European Championship 2026 in Dortmund. The 26-year-old German, speaking at a media session organised by PDC Europe and attended by DartsNews, revealed he went to bed on Sunday expecting to face Gian van Veen — only for a morning surprise to change everything.
"I checked the rankings now and then on the Sunday and had about three or four names in mind who could have been my opponent: Woodhouse, Noppert and van Veen. Clayton hadn't even crossed my mind, and I went to bed thinking I'd play van Veen," Springer said. "Then I woke up and saw that Zonneveld had won the tournament and things had shifted again. That was a bit of a surprise." The qualification rankings had remained extremely tight until the European Tour event in Maastricht concluded, keeping Springer glued to the permutations.
Health concerns have added another layer of disruption to his preparations. "I'm feeling a little under the weather at the moment. I caught it from my brother before Maastricht, so I'm not 100 per cent fit. But I still have a little time before Friday, and I'm confident I'll be fine. I'm definitely looking forward to it," he said. There is little time to recover, with a major test against Clayton awaiting him in Friday's evening session.
Despite the surprise draw, Springer holds his opponent in high regard. "It is what it is. Jonny Clayton is a very difficult opponent. I've played him a few times at exhibitions, and it was never easy." Asked whether he could play with greater freedom as the underdog, he answered calmly: "Basically, I'd say I have nothing to lose. But it's worth remembering that with only 32 players qualifying, it almost doesn't matter who you draw. The standard is extremely high." He added: "I'm just looking forward to playing in front of my home crowd again, and I'll enjoy it. My parents are coming along too, for example, just like last year. Of course, I'd love to win, but I'm sure everyone else wants that too."
Looking back on his 2026 season, Springer offers a mixed assessment. "If I look just at my results and what I've achieved compared with last year, especially on the ProTour, my main goal was to improve a little. Looking at it now, I've reached a semi-final and a quarter-final. Last year, I often won only my first match before going out. In that respect, I can see progress." He also values his regular major appearances: "So far, I've been at all the majors, which is very important to me too." Yet the statistics tell a different story. "Sure, if you focus on the stats, they are actually lower than last year. But the crucial part of the season is only just beginning, and I'm looking forward to what's still to come. I'm feeling positive and have a good feeling about it."
One area of concern is his doubles checkout rate of just 35.28 per cent over the past three months, ranking him 192nd in the relevant statistical comparison. Springer, however, sees it as a matter of form. "It's actually not that simple, because I think it can happen in spells. I'm not 100 per cent sure now, but I think my average doubles checkout rate last year was around 40 per cent. I'd say that's pretty decent," he explained. "There's not really time to practise it properly. Of course, you can work it into your practice to some extent. But I think if I focused on it completely now and concentrated only on doubles, that wouldn't necessarily mean it would work." He added: "I try not to let it get to me or dwell on it too much. As I said, I go on stage wanting to win the match, and I go out there believing that I'll finish it when I get a shot at a double."
Regardless of opponent, form or fitness, Dortmund holds a special place for Springer. "Seven to eight thousand spectators is an incredibly high number. And as a German playing there, the support is obviously tremendous," he enthused. "It's one of the few tournaments where lots of friends and family want to come along, because they want to experience it for themselves." Last year's campaign ended in the first round against Jermaine Wattimena, but he looks back fondly. "I really enjoyed it last year, regardless of the first-round result against Wattimena. I've been looking forward to it for ages, and one of my goals was to qualify for the European Championship again." He has achieved that goal. "I've managed that. Now I just need to recover over the next few days, and then I'm looking forward to being back up there."