Cross is Euro Champ again

By Henry Cheal
Rob Cross seals a second European Championship title after defeating Michael van Gerwen 11-8 in
the final in Salzburg, making him only the second player to defeat both Phil Taylor and Michael van
Gerwen in major ranking finals.
In what has been a very difficult last two years for Cross, he bounced back incredibly to seal a fourth
TV major ranking title and proved to many doubters that he still has what it takes to defeat the best.
Heading into the tournament Cross was having to defend his winning share from this very
tournament two years ago, where he beat Gerwyn Price in the final, so the pressure was firmly on
for the man who resides in Hastings.
Cross defeated Jose de Sousa and Joe Cullen on the final day before playing in his second European
Championship final with van Gerwen, after they previously met back in 2017 with the Dutchman
being the eventual winner.
Van Gerwen, who hasn’t won a ranking title since November 2020, defeated both Gerwyn Price and
Nathan Aspinall on the final day and was the firm favourite based on how both the finalists played
on the day.
“It’s nice to win again after the last 18 months, which has probably been the hardest time of my life,”
said Cross.
“I have to dedicate this to my family, friends, management and sponsors who have stood by me and
been incredibly supportive.
“I love playing in Austria, I’ve got a great record here. I love the people, I’d play here every week if I
could.
“Granted, I didn’t play my best tonight, and I’m thankful that Michael wasn’t himself in the final. You
have to take chances when they are presented to you.
“I think this (win) is going to be a turning point for me, with the confidence it’s going to give me I
know I’m going to get better over the next few months. I would love to win another World
Championship.”