This German Soccer Player Is Suing A Toy Manufacturer For Producing A Nazi Doll That Is His Identical Twin

The Age- Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger is suing a Chinese company for producing a Nazi figurine that bears an uncanny resemblance to him.

Schweinsteiger's management confirmed their client was taking legal action to SID, the sports subsidiary of Agence France-Presse, following a report in German tabloid Bild on Thursday.

The figure, marketed by Hong Kong based firm, DiD, is named "Bastian" and described as "WWII Army Supply Duty". The doll is dressed in a grey Wermacht uniform, complete with eagle and swastika insignia above the chest pocket. 

The face of the doll bears a clear resemblance to that of Schweinsteiger, who joined Manchester United from Bayern Munich earlier this year. However, a spokesman told Bild that any resemblance with the footballer was a "complete coincidence".

"We don't sell any figures which resemble footballers. It is a complete coincidence that the figure 'Bastian' looks like Schweinsteiger," spokesman Patrick Chan was quoted as saying. "We think that all Germans look like that. Bastian is also a very common name in Germany."

Media lawyer Ulrich Amelung told Bild: "This is a clear violation of the rights of Schweinsteiger. The portrayal of him wearing a swastika uniform is a clear case of defamation and insult."


​
Well, It's about damn time Hong Kong. I am glad you finally see it our way. People of certain ethnicities and nationalities CAN all look alike, and it's refreshing to see you finally admit that. All Germans DO look the same, just like a lot of Asians look the same. Those are just facts. So yes, I think saying that German soccer player looks just like every other run-of-the-mill depiction of a German is a hell of an excuse, and I am sure Bastian is a commonly used German man. With that said, there is no fucking way in hell this is purely a coincidence. Schweinsteiger clearly doesn't have too many friends in Hong Kong. Either that or someone from Bayern Munich has some serious connections in the toy manufacturing industry. Life is just simply not this cruel. You have a better chance of winning the lottery then of accidentally producing an offensive Nazi doll and giving it the same name as a person of notoriety for which it bears an EXACT resemblance. All Germans look alike, but not all Germans have the exact same facial features. Eyes, ears, jawline, mouth, hair? This doll is his plastic, Jew killing identical twin. Give the real life Bastian a silly swatstika hat and a loaf of bread and you could wrap him in packaging and play him off as the life size version of the doll without anyone knowing the difference.

Here's the thing though. If you are Bastian Schweinsteiger I think you just have to tip your cap and move on. I don't think you can start taking people to court over the best prank of all time. Sometimes you just get got, and Bastain Schweinsteiger got got. You start making a big deal of it, and it just brings more attention to it. I highly doubt a bunch of German soccer fans are into Nazi memorabilia anyway. Well, maybe they are, but I am trying to give Germany a little benefit of the doubt here. Most of them probably wouldn't even have put it together until you lent the resemblance credence by tossing around law suits. Not saying I would want it being implied that someone of my likeness was partially responsible for the Holocaust, but I think it's just got to be one of the circumstances where you ignore the blatantly obvious. You ever had a friend try to point out someone that looks like you, and you tell them they are crazy, regardless if they are right or not? I don't care if it looks like you were a product of the same loins, plead ignorance. Especially if the doll version of you is a prejudice asshole that was partially responsible for mass genocide.