Former Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld insists Ilkay Gundogan and Mesut Ozil should never have played for Germany at the World Cup.

Manchester City midfielder Gundogan and Arsenal's Ozil sparked controversy when pictured with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan befor the tournament.

"I believe that with Ozil and Gundogan it did not do them a favour to take them to the World Cup, where they were under enormous pressure," Hitzfeld told Sport Buzzer.

“In my view you have to protect them and leave them at home to make a fresh start again. Then you would have had peace during the World Cup.

“It certainly had an influence on the team. The players were constantly confronted with it."