Robert Enke, 24.08.1977 – 10.11.2009

It’s strange how events that don’t seem to directly affect you can put life into perspective. As I sat in front of my computer earlier this evening (10th November 2009), fretting about the ever-nearing deadline for my University application, I was suddenly alerted to the tragic death of Hanover 96 and Germany goalkeeper, Robert Enke.

All previous thoughts relating to the various “£1 a pint nights” that I’m sure to encounter in student union bars located in an as yet undecided city somewhere in the UK were wiped away, to be replaced with a feeling of total sorrow and shock.

For those readers who are perhaps not aware of what happened, 32 year-old Enke took his own life in an incident at a level crossing near Hanover, in which he was hit by a train. The suicide came just three years after his two year old daughter, Lara, died after losing a battle with a rare heart condition.

Most people will have experienced some sort of loss or grief in their life, but few will have had to cope with what Enke’s widow, Teresa, is sure to be going through. Having lost her daughter and now her husband, she has been left to bring up an eight month-old baby, Leila, who the couple adopted earlier this year. I cannot even begin to comprehend how heart-broken she must be, but my thoughts are especially with her, as well as with anybody else who knew the goalkeeper.

Personally, I never knew Enke. I have, however, watched enough German football to know that he was a very, very good goalkeeper. His consistently impressive performances between the sticks at the top level of German football not only earned him the idolisation of Hanover fans and subsequent captaincy of the club, but also the “Best Bundesliga Goalkeeper” award at the end of the 2008/09 season. Enke had also cemented his place in the German national squad, with a place in the World Cup squad beckoning and a starting spot very much up for grabs.

In addition to his performances on the pitch, Enke, who also played for major European clubs including Spanish giants Barcelona, was known for his involvement and hard work in many social and political projects within Hanover. These projects included the fight against right-wing extremism and the promotion of animal rights. During the 2006/07 season, a fan wrote a song about the goalkeeper titled “Robert Enke Nummer 1”. CD sales of the single helped to raise money for a local heart charity in Hanover.

The feeling of immense sadness, mourning and devastation that has quickly swept over Hanover 96, as well as German football on the whole, is a feeling that has sadly been shared by fans of many football teams across the globe in recent years. As a massive Queens Park Rangers fan, I know exactly how fans of the North German club are sure to be feeling at the moment. Young striker Ray Jones was killed in a car accident in August 2007. He was only 18.

Robert Enke had what millions worldwide dream of. His death has opened my eyes to the fact that whilst many people will strive for fame and success as their ultimate goal, there can be no doubt that there is nothing more important than personal happiness and family.

Robert Enke, 24.08.1977 – 10.11.2009.