Mesut Ozil retired from international football after Germany's hugely disappointing 2018 World Cup campaign.Joachim Loew's side were one of the favourites but were eliminated in the group stage after shock defeats to Mexico and South Korea.Ozil insisted that he would no longer play at international level due to the "racism and disrespect" he suffered at the hands of the German football association (DFB).Some of Ozil's German teammates have publicly defended the 29-year-old's decision - while others, like Manuel Neuer, have not.Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos won the 2014 World Cup in Brazik while playing alongside the Arsenal playmaker.It's been almost a month since Ozil released his statement and Kroos, 28, has offered his controversial opinion on the subject.Kroos described Ozil's retirement as "nonsense" and discussed the photo with Turkey president Recep Erdogan.

Kroos on Ozil

"The proportion that is well and properly addressed in [Ozil's] statement is unfortunately overshadowed by the much higher proportion of nonsense," Kroos told Bild, as per Goal.

"I think that he knows that racism does not exist within the national team and the DFB.

"On the contrary, we are always committed to diversity and integration. Mesut was a good example, as many of our fellow players [were]."

Kroos addressed the controversial photo with Erdogan, which Ozil says led to him being slammed for his Turkish heritage.

"I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," Ozil said last month.

However, Kroos disagreed with Ozil's characterisation.

"Mesut was criticised for the photo - and rightly so," Kroos said.

"And he missed the chance to explain himself. Nevertheless, he was absolutely supported by the athletic leadership and the team.

"Later he was - as we others also - criticised for the performance at the World Cup. The type of criticism was certainly not always at a good level - but you have to go through [that] as a player."

They've been international teammates for years but these comments surely will spell the end of Ozil and Kroos' friendship.

It's growing increasingly unlikely that the Arsenal No.10 will ever make a return to the German national team.