Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has hit out at Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil over his international retirement statement.

Kroos branded Ozil's accusations of racism inside the game as "nonsense".

He told BILD: "Mesut was a valued player of the national team and he deserved a better farewell. I have played together with Mesut for years and I know he is a nice boy, but the way he said goodbye is not okay.

"The part of his statement that is correct is unfortunately overshadowed by a much larger part with nonsense.

"I think he knows that there is no racism within the national team and within the DFB. On the contrary, we are always very committed to diversity and integration. Mesut himself was a good example of this, as were many other players."

On Ozil's photo with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kroos was adamant.

"He was rightly criticised for this and he has left the opportunity to explain his motives. Despite all this, he was fully supported by the union and the team. Later, like the rest of us, he was criticised for his performance during the World Cup.

"The way in which this criticism was expressed was not always good, but that is something you have to go through as a footballer."