16 May 2008

THE NETHERLANDS - Members of the Dutch national football team have posed as lust objects for the European Cup supplement of the Dutch newspaper AD which will appear this weekend.

In an interview with another newspaper, photographer Erwin Olaf says he told the players: "That they would be portrayed as lust objects, that there were sexual and erotic elements and that they would be completely covered in mud." Only one of the players, defender Joris Matthijsen, didn't want to be photographed semi-nude.

According to Erwin Olaf, "He is very shy."

Erwin Olaf - a well-know Dutch photographer who has worked for multinationals such as Heineken, Microsoft and Nokia - has portrayed the players as gladiators. They pose with naked torso's, their official European Cup outfits ripped to shreds. The players photographed are John Heitinga, Rafael van der Vaart, Edwin van der Sar, Joris Mathjsen, Nigel de Jong and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The magazine Kidsweek describes one of the photographs: Edwin van der Sar is posing as goalkeeper with a naked torso. He is covered with mud, his eye is bleeding, he has scrapes and scars. He has a threatening look on his face. The strap on his bicep is ripped and he pulls his glove on like he's going to beat someone to shreds."

Why do the players look like gladiators? "Football is war," says Erwin Olaf.

[Radio Netherlands / Expatica]