Werder Bremen bans players from getting new tattoos

This is most probably the weiriest piece of news information coming out of European football this summer.

German Bundesliga side SV Werder Bremen have come out with an official ban for players not to get new tattoos. It has nothing to do with asthetics, rather the ban has medical reasons only.

It is the example of Hamburger SV's Dutch winger Eljero Elia, who got a new tattoo made in March 2010 and due to infections he had to endure a lengthy and painful injury break. This is what Werder Bremen wants to avoid with their players.

"It is a risk that we need to rule out," the German club's Director of Sports Klaus Allofs told the German newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt.

Interestingly Bremen stars like goalkeeper Tim Wiese, Brazilian defender Naldo and Austrian youngster Marko Arnautovic all sport a number of tattoos. Their opinion on the clubs ban is not known.