Robert Enke took his own life on 10th November 2009 – today marks five years since that tragic day. He had been suffering with depression. A global feel of shock and outpouring of sympathy followed. The DFB, the DFL and Hannover 96 created a foundation named after Robert Enke aimed at raising the awareness and understanding of clinical depression. Five years on from the passing away of the Germany international, we remember a fantastic goalkeeper and an incredible person.

Robert Enke’s suicide in November 2009 brought global attention to clinical depression. Two months after the death of the goalkeeper, a foundation bearing his name had been established. Over the course of its five year existence, it has already worked hard to raise the awareness of the disease, in the hope of preventing similar tragedies from occurring again. The main aims of the foundation are to remove the taboo surrounding mental health, to implement measures in professional sport to help players as well as providing a contact point for people suffering from depression or similar illnesses.

Robert Enke Foundation helps sports people

In Germany up to five million people are clinically depressed and an increasing amount of professional sports people are suffering. The Robert Enke Foundation has implemented features specifically to help them including the creation of a contact network for athletes and their coaches, setting up a hotline for those affected and publishing a list of things that can help sufferers including therapies. The foundation works alongside the DFB, the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, the German Sports University in Cologne and the Accident Insurance company (VBG) have created the campaign “No Stress about Stress” in order to raise awareness.

In addition, the Foundation has been invited to speak at the DFL’s Coaching Congress and alongside Germany goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke at the International Goalkeeping Conference. “In my opinion this means that the issue has finally received the attention it needs in the world of sport; the coaches are now aware of how important mental health is and that you need to protect the players,” said Teresa Enke, CEO of the foundation. “It shows me that people are taking the Robert Enke Foundation seriously and that psychological problems in sport are becoming less of a taboo.”

Open Forum with Teresa Enke

The foundation has worked alongside Hannover’s state museum to put on events to remember the goalkeeper on the fifth anniversary of his passing away. “The event offers the football family the chance to pay their respects to my husband and share some anecdotes about his career,” said Teresa Enke. In addition to this, there will be two open forums with speakers including Jupp Heynckes, Marco Villa and the author Ronald Reng.