Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke dies at age 32; player hit by train, police suspect suicide
By Nesha Starcevic (CP) – 1 hour ago
FRANKFURT, Germany — A goalkeeper expected to play for Germany at the World Cup died after being hit by a train in what police suspect is a suicide. He was 32.
Robert Enke played for the German club Hannover. Team president Martin Kind confirmed his death, and German police later released a statement saying a man had been fatally injured after being struck by a train Tuesday night.
The statement said the victim was "apparently national team goalkeeper Robert Enke" and "first police indications are that it was a suicide."
"You expect many things, but not something like that," Kind said. "I do not know how and why it happened, but I do not think that it had anything to do with football."
The train crossing was not far from Enke's Hannover home and his car was found near the scene, police said. Hundreds of fans lit candles and placed flowers outside the Hannover stadium on Tuesday night.
Enke had been diagnosed with a bacterial stomach ailment and missed nine weeks before returning 11 days ago and playing two Bundesliga games.
He had not been selected for Germany's exhibition games against Chile on Saturday and Ivory Coast on Wednesday. But coach Joachim Loew had said Enke remained the leading candidate to be Germany's goalie at next year's World Cup in South Africa.
"We are speechless," German soccer federation president Theo Zwanziger said.
Enke and his wife lost their two-year-old daughter to a heart ailment in 2006. The couple adopted a girl in May, who is now eight months old.
"We are all shocked. We can't find the words," national team manager Oliver Bierhoff said from Bonn, where the national team assembled.
Enke played eight matches for Germany, making his debut in a 1-0 loss to Denmark in 2007. His last international game was a 2-0 win over Azerbaijan on Aug. 12.
After Jens Lehmann retired following the European Championship in 2008, Enke was promoted to No. 1 for Germany, but was set back by a broken hand.
Enke made 196 Bundesliga appearances and also played for Borussia Moenchengladbach after starting his career in East Germany at Jena. He also played for foreign clubs, among them CD Teneriffa, Fenerbahce, Barcelona and Benfica.
how the hell can you pay tribute to someone who has committed suicide...please explain
ReplyDeleteHow do we know its suicide.Maybe he was crossing the track and his leg got stuck.
ReplyDeleteHow can you judge
The Undertaker
Police have found a suicide note written by German national goalkeeper Robert Enke, who died on Tuesday after being hit by an express train near Hanover.
ReplyDelete"I can confirm that there is a farewell letter but out of respect to the family we will not say anything more," Lower Saxony police spokesman Stefan Wittke told reporters on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Enke was hit by the train travelling at 160 kph as it passed through a crossing near Hanover on its route between Hamburg and Bremen.
Police said the Hanover 96 captain's car, parked metres away from the tracks, was unlocked and his wallet was still inside