Bastian Schweinsteiger sues Chinese toymaker over Nazi figurine lookalike

A Chinese toymaker created a World War 2 Nazi soldier doll that resembles Bastian Schweinsteiger

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has launched legal proceedings against a Chinese toymaker after they marketed a doll named after him and based on the German footballer dressed up as a World War 2 Nazi soldier, Guardian reported. The ‘Bastian’ range of toy soldiers has a figure looking like Schweinsteiger dressed as a Wehrmacht veteran complete with a swastika-bearing eagle on his uniform.

A Hong Kong-based firm named DiD is behind the range ‘Bastian’ and it was the German newspaper Bild, that first highlighted the resemblance between the former Bayern Munich midfielder and the doll. Bild proclaimed “Our football hero Bastian Schweinsteiger as a Nazi soldier!” on Thursday.

Schweinsteiger is taking legal action after toymaker releases Nazi soldiers resembling him... named Bastian. pic.twitter.com/88RNm2ezwx

— United Peoples TV (@UnitedPeoplesTV) October 22, 2015

However, Patrick Chan, who’s an employee in the company, has denied any figurines based on a footballer and said it was purely coincidental that the Nazi doll resembled Schweinsteiger when contacted by the German newspaper.

“We don’t sell any figures which resemble footballers. It is a complete coincidence that the figure ‘Bastian’ looks like Schweinsteiger,” he said.

“We think that all Germans look like that. Bastian is also a very common name in Germany.”

The doll is marketed as “WWII Army Supply Duty” and comes with several apparel – including a version with a steel helmet, white winter jacket and woolen gloves. It also comes in a typical army uniform, complete with the “Wehrmachtsadler” insignia — an eagle with a swastika above the right breast pocket.

According to German website SPORT1, lawyers of Die Mannschaft’s captain have reportedly launched legal action over the sale of the toy dolls if it can prove his image rights have been violated by the production of the toy.

“This is a clear violation of Schweinsteiger’s personality rights,” the media lawyer Ulrich Amelung was quoted as saying by Bild.

“To see him as a swastika-bearing Wehrmacht soldier also constitutes a gross defamation and insult. The report states that, in similar cases, damages have amounted to ‘six-figure sums’.”

‘Bastian’ is soon to be out on stores and could be sold in Europe by a Dutch firm at £65 a unit. DiD are also responsible for selling World War 1 toy soldiers as well as James Bond dolls.