Germany's football association has rejected allegations of racism from Mesut Ozil following his retirement from international duty.
However, the DFB has accepted that it could have done more to protect the 29-year-old midfielder from abuse.
On Sunday, Ozil announced that he would no longer play for Germany, citing "racism and disrespect" within the country's football setup.
The Arsenal player stated that he received hate mail and threats following his photograph with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Germany's lacklustre World Cup campaign.
The DFB said in a statement reprinted by BBC Sport that it "regrets the departure of Mesut Ozil from the national team" but added: "We emphatically reject the DFB being linked to racism.
"The DFB has been very involved in integration work in Germany for many years."
Ozil has won 92 caps for Germany since his debut in 2009, scoring 23 goals in the process.
Giuseppe Labellarte
