Captain Neuer denies Ozil’s claims of racism within Germany setup

Germany captain Manuel Neuer has denied that Mesut Ozil was the victim of racism within the German FA (DFB), but admitted the fiasco has taken a toll on the players.

Ozil quit international soccer last month amid the furor over his meeting and photo opportunity in May with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which raised questions about Ozil’s loyalty to Germany.

Having been booed by German fans in preWorld Cup friendlies, Ozil quit the national team following Germany’s shock early exit from the finals in Russia and with his parting shot he accused DFB President Reinhard Grindel of racism. However, Bayern Munich star Neuer denies any claims of racism within the national team.

“We’ve always tried to integrate all the players and we’ve also done everything for our teammates to make them feel good going into games,” said Neuer at Bayern’s pre-season training camp in southern Bavaria.

The keeper admitted Ozil’s comments have taken a toll on those who still play for Germany.

“There has been a lot of back and forth with much written and said about it. Of course, it was very stressful for those who read about it,” he noted.

Only a few Germany stars have spoken out about the scandal and head coach Joachim Loew has yet to comment.

After 23 goals and 40 assists in 92 internationals for Germany, Ozil, who was born in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish parents, quit the national team in an explosive three-part statement a fortnight ago.

“In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,” wrote the Arsenal midfielder, whose comments sparked a racism storm in Germany and triggered fierce debate about integration.

Ozil was singled out by some corners of the German media as a reason for Germany’s poor World Cup performances, but Grindel, who has refused calls to resign, later refuted his claims of racism within the DFB.