Suicide of Robert Enke - the long ordeal of his wife
Robert Enke and his wife Teresa in May 2008.
"Before you head for a situation that gets even more unfortunate, it's better to draw a line." This quote is from Robert Enke. On November 10, he put his words he said in 2003 into action: he committed suicide. He leaves behind his wife Teresa and their adopted eight months old adoptive daughter Leila.
"We thought we could do it all, we thought it could be done with love. But sometimes you do not make it all." At a press conference organized by Enke's club Hannover 96, Teresa Enke talked openly about the problems and fears of her husband the day after her suicide. Robert Enke had been treated for months for depression.
The couple had told no one about his illness, Enke feared consequences for his career - and his private life. Would he be deprived of custody of his little adopted daughter because of depression? This question left him no peace. Too often fate had played badly to the goalkeeper. His wife accompanied him through all the difficult phases of his life, she held him, supported him - and suffered with him. "I tried to be there for him," the widow told the journalist.
Robert and Teresa have known each other for more than 13 years and have been married since 2006. They tried to give as little as possible of their private lives. Only so much is known: The Enkes are committed to animal welfare. They lived together in the 600-inhabitant village Empede near Hanover on a farm with eight dogs, which they brought in Spain and Portugal from the road, and a horse. The village has neither bakers nor grocery store, but for the peace and solitude after which the small family so longed.
Robert Enke's sporting and private life was a constant change from career highs and low blows. The biography of the native Thuringian breaks down, twists and turns follow crashes and vice versa. His wife was always at his side.
The death of the daughter
Glimmer of hope: Robert Enke proudly carries his daughter into the stadium
2004 were the Enkes parents of a daughter. Lara was born with a serious heart defect. The Enkes fought, providing for a full care of the girl, who was 45 centimeters tall at birth and weighed 2750 grams. For two years, the emotions rippled between hope and the realization that the fight would be in vain. In 2006, after three operations, Robert Enke proudly wore his child in the AWD arena, showed all his luck, beamed. But a short time later, after another ear surgery, the child died at the age of two.
A few days later, Enke was first appointed back to the national team. Teresa Enke's husband helped to keep playing and training. "Football was everything," she says today. The team gave him a hold. She, however, remained alone with her grief. Many people never cope with the death of their child. The Enkes seemed to be mastering this difficult task. In May 2009, they adopted a two-month-old girl named Leila.
Professional low blows
Until Robert Enke was able to establish himself in Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga and even rose to the national goalkeeper, it was a long and long way, which was also referred to as "painful odyssey through Europe" (World, 5.8.2004). He was traded as a great goalkeeper talent - but he could not prevent the relegation with Borussia Mönchengladbach in his first Bundesliga season in 1999 as a goalkeeper.
At 22, he moved abroad and rose at Benfica in Lisbon for goalkeeper and team captain. But at FC Barcelona followed in 2002 the first major kink. Enke could not prevail, he soon moved to Fenerbahce Istanbul. In Turkey, the crash continued. Insulted by the fans and pelted with beer bottles, he broke his contract and fled to Barcelona unemployed, where his wife Teresa and the dogs were waiting. Half a year without a job and salary - in this time Enke was treated for the first time because of depression. As his condition stabilized, the goalkeeper moved over the detour Tenerife to Hanover - and was in an environment that revered him, back to the national team.
A year ago, Enke had to cope with another setback when the Bayern professional Philipp Lahm broke him in a practice match with a shot the navel in his left hand. "Why me Sports and football are my life It's not easy when things suddenly go away," Enke said.
The fans hoped in vain: An intestinal infection brought Robert Enke to the safe place in the national team
In the fall of this year, a virus infection forced him to suspend. Enke was very close to his career peak.National coach Joachim Loew had chosen him as the number one German national team until the end of the year, everything indicated that he would be in goal at the World Cup finals in South Africa. But the illness brought him for use against Russia in the World Cup qualifiers - and his rival René Adler (Bayer Leverkusen) held brilliantly. The fight for the number one in the German goal was now completely open again.
At this stage, the depression that he seemed to be in control of for a long time returned with full force. Enke returned to treatment with his longtime doctor Valentin Markser, but refused to go to a clinic. "In my opinion, a suicide did not turn off," says Markser retrospectively. "There was no indication for a possible forced induction." Even Teresa Enke had no idea of the suicidal thoughts of her husband.
His last day
Many people spontaneously gathered to mourn the beloved national goalkeeper
On 10.11.2009 Robert Enke took his own life. He was run over by a train. The 32-year-old left a farewell letter in which he apologized to relatives and doctors. His wife, Teresa Enke, arrived at the accident site shortly after the crime, collapsing at the sight of Robert's body.
