Toni Kroos has again rejected Mesut Ozil's accusations of racism against the German Football Federation (DFB), insisting the national team has proven over many years to be a "role model for all society".
Arsenal star Ozil announced his retirement from international football in July and accused DFB president Reinhard Grindel of discrimination and "incompetence".
Ozil – who made his claims in a lengthy three-part letter – felt he had been scapegoated for Germany's poor World Cup showing as a result of his May meeting with Turkey's controversial president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The midfielder, who has Turkish heritage, has received precious little support from his former team-mates in the Germany setup outside of Ilkay Gundogan, and Kroos defended the DFB on Wednesday after reiterating the comments he made in August, when he called Ozil's claims "nonsense".