Germany and Hanover goalkeeper Robert Enke has died at a level crossing after deliberately driving into the path of an oncoming train. He was 32 years of age.
Police officials has released a statement that “Robert Enke died today in an accident,” and also that “First indications point to suicide.”
Hanover president Martin Kind was returning from a meeting with the German FA on Tuesday when he was telephoned with the news.
He told reporters that it is an unexpected news and he does not know how and why it happened. He added that he does not think that it had anything to do with football.
Enke’s two-year-old daughter Lara died two years ago from a heart defect.
The German FA stated that “The German team has learned of the death of Robert Enke with great shock. National team coach Joachim Loew and manager Oliver Bierhoff said ‘we are all shocked, we are speechless’.”
Enke became Germany’s number one goalkeeper when Jens Lehmann retired after Euro 2008 but had just returned from a bacterial bowel infection which ruled him out of his country’s last four games.
He played in Hanover’s 2-2 draw with Hamburg at the weekend but was not selected for the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Ivory Coast.
Loew said he was still his first choice for the World Cup in South Africa next year, and that the decision was based on his recent return to fitness. He had eight caps.
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Robert Enke Tribute Video