Raymond van Barneveld's former manager Jaco van Bodegom has opened up about the five-time world champion's lowest career point in 2019, describing him as "completely lost" and "mentally finished" during a difficult divorce. Van Bodegom discussed the period on the Darts Draait Door podcast, citing Van Barneveld's divorce from his then-wife Silvia as a key factor that spilled over into his darts career, leading to his decision to quit that year.
Van Bodegom recalled an emotional breakfast in front of Ahoy, where Van Barneveld was set to play in the Premier League, with both men having tears in their eyes. "How are you supposed to play darts tonight, friend?" he said, noting that "all sorts of things had come out again" and it "just wasn't fun anymore." He added that Van Barneveld couldn't talk about certain private issues, making it "quite tough." After Van Barneveld's last Premier League appearance in March 2019 against Michael van Gerwen, he announced his retirement, though he later reversed that decision.
The ex-manager clarified that he didn't want Van Barneveld to stop but saw that "things hadn't been going well for quite some time." He explained, "He has been messing around so much with his physical condition. You go through all sorts of things in your home and family life, and then it is difficult to keep playing a game like that. Then it becomes mentally tougher." Van Bodegom cited the divorce, sponsors pulling out, and Van Barneveld's age—"Your body isn't 35 anymore either"—as reasons why "it just wasn't working anymore." He believes calling it a day then was the "best decision," but noted COVID intervened, adding that without the pandemic, it would have been "the very best thing that could have happened to him."
