Luke Littler has been labelled ‘arrogant’ by Ricardo Pietreczko, with the German risking the reignition of their feud. Littler and Pietreczko have clashed previously, and the latter has once again made his feelings clear on the teenage sensation’s character.
The pair made headlines last year during a heated semi-final at the Belgian Darts Open. Pietreczko took exception to Littler’s unusual finishing route for 147, which sparked a tense confrontation afterwards and an icy handshake between the two players.
Following that match, the German took to social media to criticise his rival, expressing his hope that such arrogance would eventually prove costly for the youngster. They’ve faced each other several times since, most recently at the 2025 Players Championship Finals in Minehead.
Littler emerged victorious 10-6, though some dropped sets from the 18-year-old made it a harder battle than expected, further fuelling their ongoing rivalry. After the match, the teenager disclosed how his opponent had apparently remarked he was shocked to win five legs, having anticipated securing just one.
An annoyed Littler responded: “In my head I’m just like: what are you on about? I genuinely said to myself, you’re getting it. I’m going to win this now. And I did.” Speaking at a press conference ahead of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, Pietreczko sought to clarify the situation, stating: “I think it was made bigger by the media than it actually was.
“We were relaxed with each other and had fun backstage. I think you could also see that I had a lot of fun on stage.” Regarding the Minehead incident, he insisted it was not the response he expected. “I said, ‘I’m glad I survived the two sessions. I was just hoping to get one leg-now I’m standing here with five.’ It was meant as a joke, just the way I am. And Luke apparently took it differently,” he added.
Whilst the 31-year-old appeared keen to defuse tensions, he didn’t hold back in his evaluation of Littler, once again questioning his conduct. He continued: “As far as Luke’s demeanour is concerned, I still think he comes across as a bit arrogant. But the way he plays, he can get away with it sometimes.”
Littler kicks off his defence against Darius Labanauskas in the opening match, while Luke Humphries takes on Ted Evetts and Michael Van Gerwen faces Mitsuhiko Tatsunami.