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Raymond van Barneveld – Farewell to a legend
Raymond van Barneveld is a darts legend. After Phil Taylor’s career ended in 2018, “Barney”, the next formative player in darts, will step down from the big stage. The Dutchman is only 40th in the world rankings.
With Raymond van Barneveld, one of the greatest legends in darts has announced its comeback. He found himself again. But what sounds romantic could fail sooner than he thinks.
Dhe message came on Wednesday evening via Instagram. “We’re doing it again! I miss it enormously and will do my best to get my tour card as soon as possible so that I can perform on the big stages again in the future, ”wrote Raymond van Barneveld on his profile. He signed his post, which he illustrated with a victory pose from the past, with the word “Comeback”. Oh, Barney!
The five-time darts world champion wants to go back on the professional tour in 2021 and has signed a three-year contract with his former manager. But the main question is not whether the 53-year-old still has the necessary athletic class for it. But whether he really means it. Doubts are allowed.
For decades, the Dutchman was not only one of the best in his sport, he was also always particularly fickle. Brooding and wavering in his matches, inconsistently off the beaten track. You will not find a professional athlete who has announced or even resigned so often in the past five years, only to then reduce his own words to absurdity.
Van Barneveld agonized over the tour
Last year, however, the former postman seemed to mean business. On March 28th, van Barneveld announced his final departure again. Spontaneous, but more believable than ever before. The way to the stage for his Premier League match against Michael van Gerwen was paved with pathos. Barney began to cry during the walk-on, took off his gold chain and hung the talisman around his three-year-old grandson Mason.
Tears in Rotterdam: Raymond van Barneveld at one of his last matches
The following 1: 7 against the superstar was once again proof of the lack of competitiveness of the old master. And the setting was also right: at home in Rotterdam, in front of the assembled “Barney Army”, against a compatriot. “I suffer every night. I can’t get myself up, I don’t want this pain anymore. I’m still a proud man, but I’m done, that’s it, ”said van Barneveld. Just one day later, his manager announced that his client would still play until the World Cup in December.
Then van Barneveld tormented himself about the tour, experienced more defeats than wins, only to find his way back to his old class shortly before his last tournament. When some experts already voted him one of the favorites for the world title, the player pulled the plug himself: The first round against the American Darin Young was a huge humiliation.
He would not forgive himself for this until the end of his life, said van Barneveld disappointed, but held on to his resignation and cited the reasons: He wanted to spend more time with the family, especially his grandson, and enjoy life. His diabetes is bothering him, as is the stress of the tournament with weekly events: “I lost four good friends last year and couldn’t be at a funeral because I was on the plane somewhere.”
Out in round one: Raymond van Barneveld after his World Cup debacle in December 2019
Quelle: Getty Images/Alex Burstow
It may be because of his unworthy departure that he now supposedly wants to try again. The official reason, however, is different: longing. “I think it was the right decision to quit. In the meantime, however, I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and have come to the conclusion that I’m missing a lot, ”said van Barneveld.
But the opponents have not gotten any worse since then. The quality, especially in terms of width, has been significantly increased. Barney’s last major singles title, winning the Premier League, was more than six years ago. And in order to be able to return to the professional tour at all, he has to assert himself against hundreds of other hungry players at the Q-School in January 2021.
Even if he does manage to do it, the question remains whether he can mentally adjust to accept the many defeats and, despite the frustration, to feel joy and fun. He himself says he has changed a lot in the past nine months. “I haven’t been myself for the past two to three years and you don’t always make the right decisions. It’s haunted in your head and you’re a nightmare for the people around you, “he says, probably alluding to the separation from his long-time wife:” But that has now changed and I’m looking forward to what’s coming. “
Until the next resignation. Because it will definitely come. Oh, Barney!
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