Robert Enke is no longer with us. A mixture of sadness, disbelief and pain now overwhelms everyone who knew him as a sincere, open and cooperative person. Countless calls, emails and entries in condolence books reflect just how much Robert Enke meant to people. A man who warmed hearts, gave hope to the sick and made children smile. “Roaming Robert” as he came to be known in Hannover, had a massive heart. To his team mates he was the Captain, a strong personality, who always had time to lend an ear to others’ problems. At the same time he always remained modest and reserved; a strong, silent type. Almost instantly after his move to Hannover in the summer of 2004, he became part of the backbone of the team.

Enke went through highs and lows at other national and international clubs. His career began in 1985 at his home club SV Jenapharm Jena, followed by stints at FC Carl Zeiss Jena and Borussia Mönchengladbach as well as periods spent abroad with Benfica, Barcelona and Fenerbahce. Robert Enke’s times in Barcelona and Istanbul were not professionally fulfilling, but following a loan move to Tenerife at the start of 2004, he began to find his old form. Ewald Lienen, the Hannover 96 trainer at this time, eventually brought him back to the Bundesliga for the 2004/05 season. At Hannover, Robert Enke became more than just a top performer; the AWD arena was more like his ‘living room.’ He became an example to others and will always remain as such. His outstanding performances weren’t just honoured by the fans and team mates. In March 2007 Robert Enke received his first cap for the German national side.

During his career, Robert Enke and wife Teresa also had to deal with personal tragedy. Their daughter Lara, who was born with heart disease, died during an operation in 2006. Publicly the keeper remained strong, but collegues, friends and fans didn’t know how it affected Robert Enke.

Robert Enke was and will always be a role model in so many respects… 

Shortly we will set up an ‘in memory’ section on our homepage, allowing you to share your memories of Robert Enke with us.