Martin Schindler failed to win the European title in front of his home crowd on Sunday evening. The German lost 11-8 to Ross Smith in the final of the European Championship in Dortmund, but could still look back on his performance with pride. ‘The Wall’ reached the final of a PDC individual major for the first time in his career. Ten years ago, he would never have dreamed of playing on this stage.

Schindler enjoyed an excellent tournament at the Westfalenhalle. After beating Wessel Nijman and Jermaine Wattimena, he defeated Jonny Clayton and Krzysztof Ratajski in succession on Sunday. Smith ultimately proved too strong in the final, though the German fought back impressively from 9-3 down to make it 9-7.

After the match, Schindler was above all proud of his historic achievement. "I have to say when I was starting for ten years I didn't expect anything and now I was in a major final, and I tried everything to win that one."

Although the disappointment of losing the final was clear, Schindler also praised his opponent’s performance. Smith claimed his second European title with the win, having also lifted the trophy in 2022. ""Fair play to Ross, he was playing good. I'm sorry that I lost but I'm still really happy,” Schindler said.

The German also earned a welcome reward for reaching the final. His performances in Dortmund secured him a place in the Grand Slam of Darts, a tournament he is particularly looking forward to. "That's probably the best part of it, I'm going to be in the Grand Slam now."

Schindler therefore leaves Dortmund on a positive note despite his defeat. The European title slipped away, but with his first major final and a place in the Grand Slam of Darts secured, ‘The Wall’ has enjoyed a memorable weekend.