Why everyone thinks that Wout Weghorst is a narcissist

For some people, football is their life. Now, I don't want to say this applies to me, I know very well that it is not the most important thing, but I cannot deny that the fact that Ajax just missed out on the trophy yesterday affects my mood. I grew up with Ajax. Watching football is part of my routine, but I also welcome all new players of my club into my heart every season. I just love them; one by one, they are handsome and kind men who do their best to give us the feeling of happiness from yet another title. And yes, okay, they get paid well for it, but that's just how the football world is. There is only one exception to that rule as far as most fans are concerned, and that is Wout Weghorst.

Why Wout Weghorst is always in the spotlight

There are a few of those footballers about whom you only hear negative stories. For example, I think of Noah Lang, Mohammed Ihattaren, but also Wout Weghorst. In Wout's case, it is quite striking. He previously gained hero status when he saved the Dutch national team with his substitution. With that reputation, he came to Ajax. Although I was already a little irritated by him when I only saw him in the Dutch national team, I was still happy to have someone like Wout Weghorst in the Ajax kit: we needed a top scorer, and that would be Wout. But where his lion imitation after every goal he scores was the biggest source of irritation in the Dutch national team, it has grown into something much bigger at Ajax.

The big question: is Wout Weghorst a narcissist?

It is clear that the former hero status has done something to Wout. It seems that he also considers himself quite a hero. It was previously announced that he wants to establish his own school, inspired by a holistic way of life. Remarkable, because such a thing does not yet exist in the Netherlands. But that alone is not a reason to call someone a narcissist. What irritates people the most about him is his attitude when he enters the field during Ajax matches. He seems quite convinced of the idea that he is the only one who can save the team, as if the rest of the team cannot do without him. Over time, he also developed a growing attitude off the field. Yesterday, after the match against FC Twente, where Ajax could have gone home with the trophy, something apparently snapped in Wout. Despite scoring a nice goal in the match, he was furious afterward.

What exactly happened after the Ajax – FC Twente match?

While the cameramen captured the emotions of all the players, Wout Weghorst suddenly became furious. This led to an incident that you could call a ‘Joost Klein moment’. The camera panned across the entire team, which was being sung to by the hardcore supporters of the club. Wout was last in line, the camera circled around him (probably to capture the singing supporters he was facing). In a second, Wout's mood shifted from being emotionally touched by the singing supporters to angry Wout. And suddenly, he slapped the camera. A bizarre moment, which you would think: that must have happened in a fit of rage, he will apologize for that.

But according to Wout, it is always about him, not the team

The interview that followed was perhaps even more concerning than the slap itself. Weghorst did not apologize; he found it completely logical that he reacted that way. “It's emotion. I regret that the camera always has to be on me. From second one, that camera is coming at you,” said Weghorst. According to him, the focus is constantly on him, instead of on the team. He really thinks he was the only one being filmed at that moment, while anyone watching the footage cannot ignore that literally the whole team was captured in those 10 seconds. His attitude towards the journalists, combined with the way he behaves during the match, makes many people think that Wout Weghorst is a narcissist.

These are the main characteristics of a narcissist

If you want to know more about narcissists and the ways they influence the lives of those around them, there are several interesting articles to read further. These are the main points by which you can recognize a narcissist:

1. Exaggerated sense of self-importance
They consider themselves more important than others and expect special treatment.

2. Lack of empathy
They have difficulty empathizing with the feelings of others.

3. Need for admiration
They constantly crave praise, attention, and validation.

4. Manipulative behavior
They use others to achieve their own goals.

5. Arrogance and sense of superiority
They see themselves as better than others and make this known.

6. Difficulty with criticism
They often react defensively or aggressively to criticism.

7. Jealousy
They are quickly jealous of the success of others, while they also think that others are jealous of them.

Source: PsyQ