Football Talk - Germany pays respect to Enke - 11/11/09
Hundreds of fans have gathered at Hannover's Niedersachsen Stadion to pay respects to Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke who died after being hit by a train in an apparent suicide on Tuesday.
Enke, 32, was fatally injured at a level crossing north west of Hannover. The German football federation (DFB) said in a statement: "The German team has learned of the death of Robert Enke with great shock." Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff added: "We are in a state of shock. It is beyond words."
Enke's daughter Lara died in 2006 of a rare heart condition when she was just two. He leaves behind his wife, Teresa, and an eight-month-old daughter the couple had adopted in May.
German police released a statement sayin "The victim is apparently national team goalkeeper Robert Enke from Hannover 96. The first police indications are that it was a suicide." Enke made his international debut aged 29 and became Germany's number one keeper after Jens Lehmann retired from internationals at the end of Euro 2008. He had missed Germany's last four matches with a virus but returned for his club at the weekend.
Germany coach Joachim Low had indicated that the Hannover 96 keeper was in pole position for the number one jersey at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.
Dr Theo Zwanziger, president of the DFB, said that the football community in Germany "are deeply distressed and in mourning", addin "All our sympathy goes to the wife of Robert Enke and his family."
Germany have cancelled Wednesday's training session as a mark of respect to Enke. A statement from the German FA (DFB) released on Wednesday read: "The Germany national team's training planned for this morning has been called off. All interview appointments are cancelled."
