Germany cancel friendly against Chile in respect to Robert Enke

Germany have called off their friendly with Chile in Cologne on Saturday following the suicide of goalkeeper Robert Enke.

Enke, who had been suffering from depression, was struck by a regional train travelling between Norddeich and Hanover at a railway crossing in Neustadt am Rubenberge on Tuesday evening and died at the scene.

The 32-year-old Hannover keeper had only recently recovered a mysterious bacterial infection and had been omitted from the squad for their upcoming friendlies against Chile and the Ivory Coast next Wednesday.

The German FA confirmed the news on their official website, www.dfb.de.

Earlier on Wednesday Enke’s widow Teresa and his psychologist Dr Valentin Markser appeared at a press conference at Hannover’s AWD-Arena this afternoon to explain the background to his death.

Enke was first treated for depression during his time at Barcelona, for whom he made only one Primera Division appearance.

His widow revealed he feared that their adopted daughter Leila would be taken away if the illness became public knowledge.

The couple adopted the eight-month-old in May. They lost their biological daughter Lara in 2006 when she died of a rare heart condition at the age of just two.

Teresa Enke said: “I tried to be there for him, said that football is not everything. There are many beautiful things in life. It is not hopeless.

“We had Lara, we have Leila. I always wanted to help him to get through it. He didn’t want it to come out because of fear. He was scared of losing Leila.”