The German dressing-room divide might explain their World Cup exit | OneFootball

Toni Kroos ‘did not trust’ Marvin Plattenhardt enough to pass him the ball during Germany’s horror World Cup showing in Russia.

The current world champions crashed out at the first stage phase for the first time since 1938 following defeats by Mexico and South Korea.

Plattenhardt started the opening fixture against Mexico, earning his seventh international cap during the 1-0 loss, and touched the ball just 31 times.

One reason for this could be that, according to Martyn Ziegler of The Times, there were suggestions Kroos refused to pass to the Hertha Berlin left-back as he did not have enough faith in him.

As the inquest into Germany’s failings really take hold following their shocking early elimination, it is also understood there were fractions within the 23-man squad with Kroos leading one clique and defender Jérôme Boateng in charge of the ‘Bling, Bling’ group.

The ‘Bavarians’, led by Kroos, included Bayern Munich trio Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller while Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira and Julian Draxler formed Boateng’s gang.