Police find Enke suicide note
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 12:07Police have found a suicide note written by German national goalkeeper Robert Enke, who died on Tuesday after being hit by an express train near Hanover.
'I can confirm that there is a farewell letter but out of respect to the family we will not say anything more,' Lower Saxony police spokesman Stefan Wittke told reporters.
The 32-year-old Enke was hit by the train travelling at 160 kph as it passed through a crossing near Hanover on its route between Hamburg and Bremen.
Police said the Hanover 96 captain's car, parked metres away from the tracks, was unlocked and his wallet was still inside.
The German soccer federation called off training for Saturday's international friendly against Chile, putting the match in doubt.
'The training planned for this morning has been cancelled, as have all interview appointments,' the national body said. 'More information will be available later in the day.'
Enke won eight international caps and was in the running to play at the World Cup in South Africa next year.
After 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 for the national side.
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.
He won his first cap in 2007.
After playing for Borussia Moenchengladbach, Enke had several stints abroad, including at Benfica, Barcelona and Tenerife before returning to the Bundesliga in 2004.
Barcelona held a minute's silence before dedicating their King's Cup victory over Cultural Leonesa to Enke on Tuesday, while Tenerife said their players would be wearing black armbands in their La Liga match at the weekend.
Hundreds of fans gathered outside the Hanover stadium and offices on Wednesday, leaving flowers and lighting candles in Enke's memory.
Enke is survived by his wife Teresa and an eight-month-old girl the couple adopted in May.
The German soccer league (DFL) said a minute's silence would be held on the next matchday, with all players wearing black armbands.
