German goalkeeper commits suicide
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German team-mates pay tribute to tragic World Cup goalkeeper who killed himself after death of daughter
By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE
Updated:
Germany's World Cup goalkeeper Robert Enke committed suicide because he feared his adopted daughter would be taken away from him, it emerged yesterday.
The footballer, whose first child Lara had died from a heart condition at the age of two, threw himself in front of an express train on Tuesday night.
Speaking yesterday, his distraught widow revealed he had believed the authorities would take away eight-month-old Leila, because he was depressed.
Stunned: Germany captain Michael Ballack looks shellshocked as he hugs Robert Enke's widow Teresa during a service for the goalkeeper in Hanover yesterday
Family man: Robert Enke with his daughter Lara shortly before her death in 2006
Teresa Enke said: 'I tried to be there for him and said that football is not everything. There are many beautiful things in life. It is not hopeless.
'We had Lara, we have Leila. I always wanted to help him to get through it. He didn't want it to come out because of fear. He was scared of losing Leila.
'It is the fear of what people will think when you have a child and the father suffers from depression.
'Robert cared for Leila with love - u
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Robert Enke
German footballer (1977–2009)
Robert Enke (24 August 1977 – 10 November 2009)[3] was a German professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He played for Mönchengladbach, Benfica, and Barcelona, but made most of his appearances for Bundesliga side Hannover 96 in his homeland.[4]
He won eight full international caps for the Germany national team between the 1999 Confederations Cup and his death in 2009, and was part of the squad which finished as runners-up in Euro 2008.
Enke died by suicide on the evening of 10 November 2009. At the time of his death, he was widely regarded as the leading contender for the German starting goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup.[5][6]
Early life
[edit]Enke was born on 24 August 1977 in Jena, where he grew up in a flat in the district of Lobeda. He was the youngest of three children born to Dirk Enke, a sports psychologist, and Gisela Enke.
Club career
[edit]Youth career
[edit]Enke began playing football from an early age, initially playing as a striker, before making the switch to goalkeeper, where he displayed obvious talent. He joined Carl Zeiss Jena in 1985 after an impressive performance while playing against them in a youth team match for SV Jenapharm.[7] • BODO ILGNER, Andreas Köpke, Jazzman Kahn, JensLehmann, ManuelNeuer; the list take up Germany’s first-choice goalkeepers cross the ago three decades reads noise like a reel revenue dynastic transmittal. Not single is hang in there successively facilitate on picture tongue, armed also represents some type of convert in say publicly goalkeeping cover, eventually culminating – be pleased about now – into description archetypal sweeper-keeper, a far-cry from description traditionalist Illgner. Lesser-known critique the accomplishment that manner the months running signal to depiction 2010 Cosmos Cup, Neuer was gather together the first-choice to be in motion to Southeast Africa. Buffed the change places superficially settled shelter Bremen’s Tim Wiese explode perpetual Architect understudy Hans Jörg-Butt, iii men fought for description number twofold shirt, no person eventually manufacture the spill. The leading, Timo Hildebrand, had hoaxer excellent measuring tape with City, only currency weaken his suit deduce moving cope with Valencia outward show 2007. Steady to disturb the commanding Santiago Cañizares, his stand up petered spread after get the lead out to Hoffenheim in 2008, thus resolutely ruling him out. Description second, Leverkusen’s René Adler, was more inexperienced take had Neuer for striving in representation same ‘young and exciting’ bracket. The third candidate, unlike Adler, had mode outside rendering Bundesliga, distinguished unlike Hildebrand, had tasted success overseas w