The campaign hears from FIFA Legends Aline, Vero Boquete, Cafu, Laura Georges, Luis García, Shabani Nonda, Patrizia Panico, Fara Williams and Walter Zenga. FIFA is proud to launch this campaign, supported by the World Health Organization and ASEAN to encourage people to #ReachOut.”
Having a conversation with family, friends or a healthcare professional can be key. I am at loss for words,” said Germany captain Michael Ballack.“Depression and anxiety affect rising numbers of people worldwide, and young people are among the most vulnerable. We are shocked and our thoughts are with Robert’s family. Monchengladbach vice-president Rainer Bonhof, Enke’s coach at the club in the1998/99 season, said on “This is shocking news, words fail me.”Ĭarl Zeiss Jena spokesman Andreas Trautmann said: “The right words don’t exist for such a tragedy. A statement on an otherwise entirely black home page just read: “We are mourning Robert Enke, 24 August 1977-10 November 2009.” Hannover’s official website was dedicated to their former number one. He won his first cap in 2007.Įnke started his career at Carl Zeiss Jena and had spells at Borussia Monchengladbach, Benfica, Barcelona, Fenerbahce and Tenerife, before joining Hannover in 2004.īarcelona held a minute’s silence before dedicating their Copa del Rey victory over Cultural Leonesa to Enke on Tuesday, while Tenerife said their players would wear black armbands in their La Liga match at the weekend. He lived in the shadow of Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann for almost a decade and it was only after the latter’s international retirement last year that Enke emerged as a leading contender for the position, despite earning his first call-up in 1999. Markser said the player refused to be treated on the day of his death, saying he was feeling well.Īfter years of battling injuries and personal issues, including the death of his two-year-old daughter due to a heart ailment in 2006, Enke finally appeared poised to grab the number one spot in the national team. “He suffered from depression and fear of failure,” Valentin Markser said. His doctor had treated Enke since 2003, during a turbulent time when the goalkeeper had several unsuccessful transfers to clubs in Spain and Turkey. German Chancellor Angela Merkel contacted Enke’s family.Įnke won eight international caps and was in the running to play at the World Cup in South Africa next year. Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff broke down in tears after adding that Enke’s depression had gone unnoticed by team-mates and officials. “We need time to process all this,” he said after a minute’s silence before the news conference. “It was clear to everyone that we could not play,” said DFB chief Theo Zwanziger. The German soccer federation cancelled the Chile game saying it was necessary for the players and coaches to mourn. We thought we could do everything and we could do it with love, but you can’t always do it.” Struggling to hold back tears, she said: “It is crazy, because now it is coming out anyway. His widow revealed he feared that their adopted daughter, Leila, would be taken away if the illness became public knowledge.
“When he was acutely depressive it was a very difficult time because he lacked motivation and any hope of improvement,” she said.Įnke, who, in a letter he left, apologised for hiding the condition leading up to his death, had tried hard to keep his depression secret.
All the players and coaches are due to attend a memorial service in Hanover in the coming days.Įnke’s wife said the couple had tried to overcome years of depression through therapy. The German soccer federation (DFB) said Saturday’s friendly with Chile had been scrapped because the players were in shock. DEATH OF ROBERT ENKE:GERMANY GOALKEEPER Robert Enke, who died by suicide on Tuesday, had long suffered from depression and fears of failure, his wife and his doctor have said.Įnke (32), was hit by a train as it passed through a crossing near Hanover on its route between Hamburg and Bremen.Įnke is survived by his wife, Teresa, and an adopted eight-month-old daughter.