Darts star labels last-16 opponent at World Championship as ‘odd’ after player clashed with Luke Littler at event this year

Nathan Aspinall has branded Ricardo Pietreczko ‘a strange character’ ahead of his World Cup quarter-final against the German star.

Aspinall promised to perform a show at Ally Pally on New Year’s Day as he aims to reach the last four.

The No. 12 seed secured his position in the round of 16 by beating Andrew Gilding 4-0 in his third round match, where he recorded a three-dart average of 92.17.

Ahead of his showdown with Pietreczko, the Asp stated that he sees victory as a certainty as he discussed the character of his controversial opponent.

‘Ricardo is a great darts player, but he has a strange character. That’s all I can say,” he said.

“He keeps to himself. Brings his partner everywhere. I don’t talk to him. I don’t know much about his life.

The Asp will face the German in the quarter-finals of the World Cup on New Year’s Day

Pietreczko previously had an altercation with Luke Littler in which he labeled him arrogant

‘I don’t care what he is like as a person. I’m going over there to hit him on the dartboard. If I produce what I can, he doesn’t stand a chance.

‘It could be 60-40 English to German there. There will be electricity at that location on Monday. I know I’m going to go out there and beat him.”

Pietreczko, the current No. 3 seed, was previously involved in a meeting with Luke Littler in March during the semi-finals of the Belgian Open.

The German stormed towards Littler after his defeat and gave the lad from Warrington an earful.

Littler wrote on a darts Facebook group: ‘No idea what I did wrong, no idea what he said. He said something and then don’t do it again.’

Pietreczko wrote on Instagram: ‘So I really appreciated that you can play such a game at such an age. But I hope the arrogance punishes him.’