Real Madrid star playmaker Toni Kroos has issued a response to Mesut Ozil’s retirement from the Germany national team.
The Arsenal star quit Germany following a disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign. Ozil played twice as Joachim Low’s side crashed out in the group stages after two defeats in three games.
Ozil was already under fire in Germany after posing with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a photo. The 29-year-old subsequently singled out for criticism from ex-internationals and pundits.
However, Kroos has criticised the way Ozil announced his retirement and called the Arsenal star’s claims or racism nonsense.
“Basically Mesut is a deserved international and as a player he deserved a better departure,” Kroos told the Germany newspaper 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.”
Ozil has handed the no.10 jersey when he returned to Arsenal and played the full 90 minutes during the Gunners 2-0 defeat to Man City on Sunday.
Arsenal will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take the trip across London to take on Chelsea. The Blues are coming off the back of a 3-0 victory over Huddersfield.
