Robert Enke's suicide shocks football world

memorable

November 10, 2009: Goalkeeper Robert Enke commits suicide at a railroad crossing near his home. His suicide left the entire country breathless. Even weeks later, there was only one topic in the media: depression.

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Reports came in Tuesday evening: Robert Enke has died. The German national goalkeeper committed suicide near Empede's home. At 6:25 p.m., the 32-year-old father was hit by a train. He died at the scene of the accident. Enke's family and their entire football community are shocked. Emotions of sadness, confusion and pain enveloped everyone.

Robert Enke lost his battle with depression.Image: Keystone

This was supposed to be a normal Tuesday. At 9 a.m., Robert Enke kissed his eight-month-old adopted daughter on the forehead, said goodbye to his wife and said he would go home in the evening.

The first details were announced at a press conference that evening. Enke parked his car about ten meters from the tracks. The Hannover 96 goalkeeper left his wallet on the passenger seat of his unlocked car. “It was suicide,” explained his adviser Jörg Neblung. In a farewell letter, Enke asked for forgiveness from his family and doctors.

As 96 fans laid the first bouquet of flowers in front of the Hannover Stadium, national team coach Joachim Loew and coach Oliver Bierhoff were informing players at the German national team headquarters that the German team is scheduled to start on Saturday. Friendly match against Chile. In fact, Enke was also supposed to join the camp, but he had to sit out due to a bacterial infection in his intestines. “We are all shocked, we have nothing to say,” Bierhoff said on behalf of the team.

The next morning, Enke's wife Theresa and his doctor, Valentin Maxer, clarified the reason. In an extremely emotional press conference, they revealed the goalkeeper had suffered from a fear of failure and severe depression for years.

From self-doubt to depression

It all really started when he moved to FC Barcelona in 2002. As Enke was unable to prove his quality immediately under coach Louis van Gaal, he began to have self-doubts. He was loaned to Fenerbahce Istanbul but his depression became worse. Enke sought treatment. It was not until he moved to Hannover 96 in the 2004/05 season that his form stabilized again.

The beginning of the end: Robert Enke signs with FC Barcelona. Head coach at the time: Louis van Gaal.Image source: Associated Press

In addition to depression, Enke also suffered a severe blow from fate: In 2006, his daughter Lara was born with a complex heart defect and died at the age of two, something he was never able to cope with. After that, the fear of loss continued to haunt him: Keeper feared he would lose custody of Leila, who was adopted in May 2009, because of depression. He showed nothing on the outside, but no one knew what he was like on the inside.

At the beginning of October, a final relapse occurred: due to a bacterial illness, he found himself increasingly falling into a crisis of depressive mood. “I tried to be there for him,” Theresa Enke said at a news conference. «We thought we could do everything. We also think you can do it with love, but you can't. “

Countless flowers and candles were placed in front of the Hanover Stadium.Image: Getty Images Europe

In the afternoon, the German Football Association announced the cancellation of the match against Chile. Bierhoff broke down in tears during a news conference and said there was no sign he was ill. Enke appeared very “firm” and “stable”.

Hannover can see the popularity of the 96ers captain and goalkeeper. Thousands of fans flocked to the Lower Saxon Stadium. They lit candles, laid flowers and wrote their condolences in countless condolence books. The compassion is overwhelming.

Germany's largest ever funeral

35,000 people came to the Hannover Arena for the funeral. Enke's simple wooden coffin is placed within the central circle. White flowers, wreaths and mourning flowers from the Bundesliga club were placed around the area. The then Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff, and the former German Football Association President Theo Zwanziger delivered touching speeches. They asked to look beyond sports. “Don't just think about appearances. “Also think about people's hearts, doubts and weaknesses,” Zwanziger said.

In fact: the topic will be discussed publicly for the first time in the coming weeks. Robert Enke gave widespread depression a face, and those affected were suddenly taken seriously. A small step to remove taboos, but a step nonetheless.

At the end of the memorial service, former teammates carried Enke's coffin out of the stadium to the song “Rose”. Enke will later be buried in the Emped cemetery next to his daughter Laura.

National team colleagues have reserved a place for Robert Enke for the international break against Ivory Coast.Image source: Associated Press

For Enke's colleagues, the return to daily life began quickly. Seven days after the goalkeeper's tragic death, the German national football team faced Côte d'Ivoire in Gelsenkirchen. The game ended 2-2, but the result was irrelevant. Everyone remembered Robert Enke again, his jersey sitting on an empty seat on the bench.

On September 2, 2024, 21-year-old right back Josaphat Mendes moved from Braga to FC Basel at the last minute on loan with an option to buy. A portrait of a boy from Sweden who quickly became a regular player, grew up at home in Switzerland and had big plans for FCB.

When FC Basel visited Hammarby IF on August 26, 2021, the match sheet read “No lineup” after Joe Mendes' name. In what should have been a memorable game, Arthur Cabral saved FCB from penalties and actually managed to reach the divisional league group stages despite falling 3-0 down. Mendes, who made his first-team debut against Maribor a month ago, recalled: “The game against Basel was a difficult game. I was in the dressing room with a serious injury. eliminated.”