Germany was in shock on Wednesday after football star Robert Enke, who was set to represent his country at the 2010 World Cup, committed suicide by throwing himself under a train.
Police said goalkeeper Enke had killed himself at a level crossing in the small town of Neustadt am Rubenberge, near Hanover on Tuesday. He was 32.
He leaves behind a widow, Teresa, and a daughter of eight months, Leila, adopted by the couple in May — three years after their two-year-old daughter Lara tragically died of a heart defect in 2006.
”He threw himself under a train and died of his injuries. It was definitely suicide,” police spokeswoman Martina Stern told AFP.
Joerg Neblung, a close friend and advisor to the eight-times capped goalkeeper, also confirmed that Enke had taken his own life: ”I can confirm that it was suicide,” he said.
The news has stunned football-mad Germany and chancellor Angela Merkel has contacted Enke’s widow.
”The chancellor has expressed her shock and sympathies today in a very personal letter,” Merkel’s spokesman Christoph Steegmans told reporters in Berlin.
With Germany set to play a friendly against Chile on Saturday, the German Football Federation’s (DFB) general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach said there is a possibility the game in Cologne may be cancelled as a mark of respect.
”It is too early to say at this point, but we will meet and discuss the issue,” Niersbach told German sports agency SID.
”We will comment on the issue later on Wednesday: things are bad enough, we are all stunned.”
Hanover police have confirmed Enke left a suicide note, but with respect to the family will not reveal where the note was found, but Enke’s Mercedes was found near to the level-crossing where he took his life.
Enke, born in Jena in eastern Germany in 1977, was understudy to then first-team keeper Jens Lehmann during the 2008 European championships and took over in goal for Germany when Lehmann retired in August 2008.
Last season, he was voted the best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga.
But an intestinal infection in September caused him to pull out of the national squad two days ahead of their thumping 4-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Azerbaijan.
This allowed his rival Rene Adler to boost his chances of representing his country in June’s 2010 World Cup finals and Adler was in goal for the 1-0 win over Russia last month which saw Germany book their place in South Africa.
Enke only returned to play for his club Hanover 96 just last Sunday in their 2-2 draw with Hamburg and the shaven-headed shot-stopper declared himself delighted to be fighting fit again.
”It has been a long time, almost a quarter of the season. However, once I resumed training I felt really well,” Enke had said.
His death therefore came as a bombshell for those closest to him both personally and professionally.
”We’re in shock. I don’t know what to say,” said national manager Oliver Bierhoff, who along with head coach Joachim Loew, informed Enke’s international teammates of the tragedy.
With Germany preparing to face Chile in Cologne, Loew cancelled training on Wednesday and Enke’s club president Martin Kind was left stunned by the news.
”It is a total catastrophe. I am finding it hard to understand,” said Kind.
Later around 300 of the club’s fans and several of his club-mates gathered outside the club’s offices as a mark of respect on Tuesday night with many laying down bouquets of flowers and lighting candles.
Large numbers of people were also present outside the ground on Wednesday to pay their respects.
Enke had also at one time been linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich where the former German Under-21 international Michael Rensing had not impressed in his first season between the posts.
However, Uli Hoeness, Bayern’s general manager, had made clear they were not interested in paying the €10-million transfer fee.
Several German football pundits had advised Enke, who had previously had spells at Benfica, Barcelona and Tenerife, to leave Hanover for a more prestigious club and one that was playing in European club competition so he would improve his chances of becoming German Number One. — AFP
