‘Don't judge him' – Darts star reveals Michael van Gerwen's words to him straight after shocking ‘pub player' slur
The
4
Van Gerwen appeared to slam his opponent following a nervy victory last week in Poland
Credit: Getty
4
Croatian thrower Pero Ljubic does not hold a grudge against the Dutchman
Credit: Instagram / @peroljubic78
Van Gerwen's insults included calling his opponent a "pub player" as well as saying "[Ljubic] won a few legs and it feels like his birthday".
However - speaking to Polish darts outlet Okiem Darta - Ljubic downplayed the severity of Van Gerwen's jibes.
The Croatian revealed that Van Gerwen apologised for his comments immediately - and asked people not to leap to conclusions.
He said: "Michael apologised to me straight away. We know each other well, and I know he meant no harm.
READ MORE ON DARTS
"Don't be too quick to judge – emotions can take over in moments like that.'
Van Gerwen and Ljubic were drawn against each other in the Poland Darts Masters last week.
Van Gerwen - ranked third on the PDC Order of Merit - was expected to demolish his opponent, who sat 140 places below him in the rankings.
Instead, the three-time World Championship winner stumbled to just a shaky 6-4 victory, prompting his shocking post-match comments.
Most read in Darts
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Ljubic said: "He was just frustrated with his own performance.
'For me, what matters most is someone's honesty – not what the internet says."
Darts star Michael van Gerwen rips into 'pub player' rival Pero Ljubic
Ljubic's classy reaction even extended to paying his legendary opponent compliments.
He added: "During a later chat, he even gave me some motivation. He's a genuinely decent guy and a top-class player."
4
Ljubic holds a PDC Order of Merit ranking of 143, a full 140 spots behind Van Gerwen's top three ranking
Credit: Instagram / @peroljubic78
4
Van Gerwen is considered amongst the best to ever step up to the oche, and is the second most successful PDC darts player ever behind Phil Taylor.
Credit: Getty
Van Gerwen was eventually knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by Englishman
Welsh star
List of all-time Darts World Champions
BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year.
The list does
not
include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included.
1994 - Dennis Priestley
1995 - Phil Taylor
1996 - Phil Taylor (2)
1997 - Phil Taylor (3)
1998 - Phil Taylor (4)
1999 - Phil Taylor (5)
2000 - Phil Taylor (6)
2001 - Phil Taylor (7)
2002 - Phil Taylor (8)
2003 - John Part
2004 - Phil Taylor (9)
2005 - Phil Taylor (10)
2006 - Phil Taylor (11)
2007 - Raymond van Barneveld
2008 - John Part (2)
2009 - Phil Taylor (12)
2010 - Phil Taylor (13)
2011 - Adrian Lewis
2012 - Adrian Lewis (2)
2013 - Phil Taylor (14)
2014 - Michael van Gerwen
2015 - Gary Anderson
2016 - Gary Anderson (2)
2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2)
2018 - Rob Cross
2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3)
2020 - Peter Wright
2021 - Gerwyn Price
2022 - Peter Wright (2)
2023 - Michael Smith
2024 - Luke Humphries
2025 - Luke Littler
Most World Titles
14 - Phil Taylor
3 - Michael van Gerwen
2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Christian Horner tipped to become Lewis Hamilton's new Ferrari boss, day after Brit driver's brutal response to sacking
FORMULA 1 legend Jacques Villeneuve says Christian Horner "doesn't seem to be affected by pressure" so could be Ferrari's team principal. However, if Lewis Hamilton 's response to the news of Horner's sacking is anything to go off, it may not be the match Villeneuve thinks it could be. Advertisement 4 Horner was sacked three days after the British Grand Prix Credit: Getty 4 Allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him by a female colleague in February 2024 Credit: Getty 4 He's been tipped to join Ferrari Credit: AFP 4 Villeneuve thinks he could 'shoulder the pressure' of Ferrari Credit: Getty Horner was The team have not publicly provided a reason for his dismissal. Allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against him by a female colleague in February 2024. Horner - who is currently out of work - has denied these allegations. Speaking to Vision4Sport, who provide Christian Horner to Ferrari would be an interesting one. Advertisement read more in f1 "He's been solid, doesn't seem to have been very affected by pressure, even in tough times. "So, he might well be one that could be able to shoulder Ferrari." But on Thursday, Belgium Grand Prix. With a dead-pan look on his face, he said: "It doesn't change anything in my life." Advertisement Most read in Motorsport Exclusive BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK That comment was followed by an awkward silence in the press conference. Hamilton - who stunned the F1 world when he switched from Mercedes to Ferrari - failed to podium at the British Grand Prix earlier this month. Lewis Hamilton looks close to tears in live TV interview after 'terrible' performance His fourth place finish brought an end to finishing in the top three for 12 Silverstone races in a row as he finished behind Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg. Advertisement Ferrari's And Villeneuve thinks this inconsistent form is a reoccurring theme for the Italian team. He said: "It's like that every year. It's really bad, and then suddenly they win in Monaco. "Then it's great and they've turned the corner, then it goes back to being very bad and so on. So, let's wait." Advertisement Ferrari principle Fred Vasseur has been in focus this season, with fans questioning if time will run out for him after a tricky season for the Italian team. Asked about Vasseur's future , Villeneuve said the job is always a "risky proposition". He said: 'The team principal at Ferrari is always under threat. That's the name of the game. "When you accept going to Ferrari, you know that you're walking on fire, you're walking on eggs. It's always a risky proposition. Advertisement "And if you take that job, which puts you in the limelight, you have to accept the consequences, which means it's easy to just be chopped 'You live under constant pressure, and you have to accept it from the media, from everyone and you complain about it because a team principal there is always one who managed to remove his predecessor. "There's always a lot of politics . So, if it happens to Vasseur there should not be any surprise."
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Emotional moment Cristhian Mosquera's proud dad breaks down in tears after watching Arsenal welcome video for his son
CRISTHIAN MOSQUERA'S dad was filmed crying with happiness after watching his son's Arsenal welcome video. The Spanish defender completed a £13million deal from Valencia on Thursday, penning a five-year contract. Advertisement 5 Mosquera has put pen to paper Credit: Getty 5 He brought his family with him for his welcome day Credit: Getty 5 His father was overcome with emotion when he watched his son's welcome video Credit: Arsenal 5 Arteta had fun with Mosquera's brother too Credit: Arsenal 5 Mosquera (right) is already training with Arsenal Credit: AFP The clips include a wholesome moment Mosquera's father covers his face and cries after watching his son's welcome video. As the lights come on after the video and everyone finishes clapping, the camera pans to his dad sat with his hands over his eyes. "You ok, Dad?" someone is heard asking him as he took in the realisation his son was going to play for the Premier League club. Advertisement READ MORE ON ARSENAL Mosquera is then seen signing his deal, alongside manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta. Berta is heard saying to the new signing: "Your dad stayed outside… he's crying!' The new Gunner's younger brother was also in attendance, and another clip shows Arteta guiding him towards a contract on the table. After telling him to take a photo with it, he explains: "For the future , because he's very good!" Advertisement BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Spain Under-21 star Mosquera is Arteta's first defensive recruit of the window. He is set to provide both cover and competition for next season. Declan Rice and the Arsenal squad thank fans for coming out at Singapore match Arsenal have also recruited , Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and . Advertisement The Gunners have also finally agreed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon . Arteta wants the striker - who has been pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong 'immediately'. Arsenal face Newcastle in Singapore in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Man Utd join transfer race for ex-Premier League ace who faces disciplinary action after refusing to turn up to training
MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly joined the race to sign former Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian midfielder, 27, is currently at Juventus but has gone on strike in an attempt to leave. 3 Man Utd have joined the race to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus Credit: Getty 3 The former Aston Villa star has gone on strike in Italy Credit: Getty And he is thought to want a return to the Premier League following spells at SunSport exclusively revealed that Everton and West Ham are interested in signing Luiz this summer, with Nottingham Forest also monitoring things. But Gazzetta dello Sport claims READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Ruben Amorim has bolstered his attack with the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. And Luiz is seen as a similarly experienced player who is only just approaching his prime years. However, United are likely to want a loan deal as they struggle to offload players for transfer fees. Juventus are open to doing business as long as there is an agreement for a permanent move next summer. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS The Italians are hoping to get £35m for Luiz, with £9m paid as a loan fee now and £26m to follow in a year's time. But United are likely to want just a loan deal for now before discussing a permanent move later. Douglas Luiz shows off his skills at Juventus training 3 It's also reckoned that Luiz's former side Aston Villa could make a move, with Unai Emery and Monchi big fans. Villa's sporting director even said last year: 'Luiz is a playmaker. Every ball that comes out of his feet makes sense. 'After his farewell we invested well, but I would always take Douglas back for any club. He's very strong.' Luiz played 204 times during five years at Villa Park before joining Juve for £45m last summer. Before a 2019 move to Villa, Luiz spent two years at Man City but failed to make a single appearance, instead spending time on loan at sister club Girona. He's since gone on to win 18 caps for Brazil. But after playing just 19 league games at Juventus, Luiz is yet to make an appearance for the Samba Boys in 2025.
