Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has criticised the manner of Mesut Ozil's retirement from the German national team earlier this summer.
Ozil quit Die Mannschaft citing "racism" and "disrespect" over his Turkish background, following criticism in his home country of the controversial photograph taken alongside Turkey president Recep Erdogan before the World Cup.
"Basically Mesut is a deserved international and as a player he deserved a better departure," Kroos told Bild.
"But the way he resigned was not in order. The parts in his statement that are rightly addressed are unfortunately overshadowed by the significantly higher amount of nonsense.
"I think he knows very well that racism within the national team and the DFB does not exist."
Kroos also confirmed that he has no plans to follow Ozil in retiring after speaking to manager Joachim Low.
