The German Football Federation (DFB) have reacted to the allegations of racism from Arsenal Midfielder MesutOzil.
Ozil announced his retirement from international football on Sunday after weeks of criticism from German fans, media and more.
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The 29-year-old who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany in Brazil accused DFB of treating him with racism and disrespect in a long statement on Sunday.
He also revealed that his family have received hate mails, threatening phone calls and online abuse from fans.
This is all started after he and Ikay Gundogan took a picture with Turkey President Erdogan who was in London in May.
Everton German-born Turkish international was also present at the meeting.
The picture then went viral in Germany and some pundits even went on to say Ozil and Gundogan should have been dropped from the German Squad for Russia 2018.
But the DFB in a statement have refuted the allegations put against them by Ozil, saying they “regret the departure of Mesut Ozil from the national team”.
"We emphatically reject the DFB being linked to racism.
"The DFB has been very involved in integration workin Germany for many years.
“It is regrettable that Mesut Ozil felt that he had not been sufficiently protected as a target of racist slogans.
“The DFB stands for diversity, from the representatives at the top to the boundless, day-to-day dedication of people at the base.”The DFB statement reads as quoted by The Independent.
