Bastian Schweinsteiger sues Chinese toy company after selling doll of him dressed up as a Nazi WW2 soldier

The range, named Bastian, looks like the Germany captain but it has been defended as 'purely coincidental'

(www.DiD.co)

Manchester United’s World Cup-winning midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is suing a Chinese toymaker after they marketed a doll that is based on and named after the German footballer dressed up as a World War 2 Nazi soldier.

A Hong Kong firm named DiD is behind the range, named Bastian, and has insisted that the appearance akin to the 31-year-old United midfielder is “purely coincidental”.

The doll is dressed as a Wehrmacht veteran which includes a swastika-bearing eagle. One picture displays the medal ribbon awarded to German soldiers that served in the winter offensive in Russia in 1941.

The toy figure was brought to light by German newspaper Bild, which proclaimed “"Our football hero Bastian Schweinsteiger as a Nazi soldier!" on Thursday.

DiD added: "The figure is a member of a Wehrmacht supply unit, a so-called 'kitchen boy'."

Schweinsteiger’s lawyers are taking action over the sale of the toy dolls, which will 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

Patrick Chan, a DiD representative in Hong kong, told Bild: "We offer no figures based on the football. The resemblance is purely coincidental.

He added: "The figure is based on a typical German. We believe most Germans look like this. Bastian is a common name in Germany."

Bild have added that legal proceedings are underway to prevent the sale of the dolls.

When contacted by The Independent, Schweinsteiger’s representatives were unreachable.