Toni Kroos has never been a player to shy away from publicly criticizing things he does not agree with. This was the route he took when former Germany team-mate Mesut Ozil retired from international football, with the Fenerbahce playmaker accusing the FA of "racism and disrespect".
The Real Madrid midfield maestro claimed Ozil's accusations were "nonsense", arguing that Mesut's departure from the national team was out of order. Unfortunately, Kroos' opinion on this matter led to online abuse, some of which were vile.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's highly-anticipated Madrid Derby, the 31-year-old revealed being labeled a Nazi for defending the DFB from racism allegations. Speaking at an event with German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the former Bayern Munich talent said (as per Marca):
"After the 2018 World Cup I said that I didn't like the way in which Mesut Ozil [handled himself as he retired from international football], and then [because of that] I was a Nazi for quite a lot of people.
"Blond hair, blue eyes, it all fit for a lot of people.
"I managed to get over it. Anyone can hide behind a fake profile and then insult other people with almost no problem."
Online abuse directed at players has become a key topic in the beautiful game, with several superstars going public with the social media attacks they have been receiving. There have been calls for the likes of Twitter and Instagram to take stronger measures to battle the trolls.
