The German Football Federation (DFB) has denied Mesut Ozil's allegations of racism and insisted he should have explained his actions following his meeting with controversial Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ozil launched an astonishing attack on the DFB and its president Reinhard Grindel on Sunday, accusing them of "racism" as he announced his retirement from international football.
The 29-year-old, who has Turkish roots, came in for significant criticism before the World Cup when pictured with Erdogan alongside Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan.
Ozil was widely jeered in pre-World Cup friendlies by Germany fans, while DFB officials publicly criticised him for the meeting, leaving the midfielder feeling as though he had not been protected by his own country's federation.