German international Bastian Schweinsteiger is reported to be upset at Hong Kong doll manufacturer, Dragon in Dream, for making a Nazi Action Figure with a a striking resemblance to him.
The Manchester United midfielder told BILD magazine that he was specially upset at “the lack of a proper Kung Fu grip.” Schweinsteiger’s management company put the matter into the hands of their German-based lawyers earlier this week.
The dolls, named ‘World War II Army Supply Duty – Bastian’, are made in China by Dragon in Dream. The company told Bild any resemblance was “purely coincidental”.
“We don’t sell any figures which resemble footballers. It is a complete coincidence that the figure ‘Bastian’ looks like Schweinsteiger,” a spokesman added. “We thought that all Germans look like that. Bastian is also a very common name in Germany.”
Makes sense to me. Now, if only Dragon in Dream can make a Pancho Villa doll that resembles Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez I’ll have my Christmas wishlist completed.