German FA 'emphatically' rejects Ozil's racism claim

Germany's football association (DFB) has strongly denied an issue of discrimination within the country's game after Mesut Ozil cited "racism and disrespect" for his international retirement on Sunday.

The 29-year-old's decision to end his time with Germany led to questions over the future of Reinhard Grindel - Ozil accused the DFB president of turning him into a "scapegoat" for Die Mannschaft's group-stage exit from the World Cup - but elicited a strong rebuke from Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness, who said Ozil was "crap for years" on national team duty.

Related - Bayern chief relieved by Ozil's Germany retirement: He's been 'crap for years'

Ozil also accused a range of parties including his former school, the German media, and sponsors of not supporting him due to his Turkish immigrant parents and a controversial photo he shared with Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May.

"We emphatically reject the DFB being linked to racism. The DFB has been very involved in integration work in Germany for many years," read Monday's statement, as translated by BBC Sport.

The statement thanks the Arsenal midfielder for his contributions during his 92 caps for Germany, which involved winning the 2014 World Cup. He started each of the seven matches on that victorious run but was also a prominent member of the squad that disappointingly bowed out early from this year's tournament.

The DFB admitted, "It is regrettable that Mesut Ozil felt that he had not been sufficiently protected as a target of racist slogans," but reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring there is diversity and integration throughout the organisation.

The summer competition was disastrous for Germany. The reigning world champion was widely expected to strongly defend its title in Russia but finished below Sweden, Mexico, and South Korea in Group F.