Football mourns loss of a great talent and a modest man
November 11, 2009
Robert Enke had none of the extrovert qualities associated with the great goalkeepers in German football folklore, larger than life figures such as Sepp Maier and Oliver Kahn.
He didn’t quite achieve greatness on the pitch but this modest man will be certainly be remembered as a great talent, who at the time of his death was the best of an outstanding group of German keepers.
Enke, who has committed suicide at the age of 32, would likely have been the man chosen to keep goal for Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and he may have fulfilled the exceptional potential he showed from early on.
That he had even made it into the Germany squad was testament to his character and professionalism.
Enke had to struggle to get his career back on track after a disappointing spell at Barcelona in the 1990s. After an excellent spell at Benfica, he was never able to make an impact at the Nou Camp, with his career there effectively cut short by a single poor performance in a Cup game.
He moved on to Fenerbahce and dropped down to the Spanish second tier with Tenerife before he fought his way back into the top flight in 2004, back in Germany with Hanover. He eventually won the first of his eight German caps in 2007, eight years after being called up to the squad for the first time. It was a promotion that was long overdue in the eyes of most fans and players.
By then, as is well known, his life had been marked by tragedy, with the death of his two-year-old daughter in 2006 because of a heart problem.
The death touched people in Germany, and he was widely admired for the way he dealt with it. It helps explain why people have been so moved by his suicide, which came, according to his wife and doctor, after he battled depression for years.
“I can hardly breathe,” said Hamburg captain David Jarolim. “This is a real tragedy: first his daughter and then this.”
A lot of us will have felt the same way on hearing news that is just so terribly sad.
PHOTO: Supporters of Germany’s national goalkeeper Robert Enke stand in silence outside the headquarters of his club Hanover 96, November 11, 2009. REUTERS/Christian Charisius
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A proposal from Germany could help cut out diving
November 11, 2009
Referee Peter Walton could face a suspension from the Premier League list if it is decided he made a mistake in Monday’s 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Birmingham.
Walton reckoned Liverpool striker David Ngog had been fouled by Lee Carsley and ignored the protests of his Birmingham team mates before Steven Gerrard converted the spotkick. Even Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez said afterwards he did not think it was a penalty.
Former Premier League and FIFA referee Graham Poll is among those saying the FA must change the rules, arguing that if the referee can be banned for a mistake, players should be punished too. Under current FA rules, players who dive cannot face retrospective action if they were not booked for “simulation” during the game.
Maybe the FA could follow a recent German experiment. If a player was thought to have dived, the referee was instructed to ask him: “Did you dive?”
If he said he did, he was not punished, but neither did he gain any advantage and the match went on.
If he said he didn’t dive and DVD evidence later proved he did, he was handed a severe ban.
Not a foolproof system by any means, but something needs to be done as diving players are damaging the credibility of the game.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Sergio Moraes
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Germany cancels friendly against Chile
November 11, 2009
Germany have called off their friendly with Chile on Saturday following the suicide of goalkeeper Robert Enke.
Theo Zwanziger, president of the German Football Association, announced on Wednesday that the friendly match with Chile was cancelled. This was an unanimous decision made by Germany coach Joachim Loew and the entire squad.
The German FA also announced Loew and the German internationals won’t be available for interviews the next days.
Paul Haring
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Yeung’s Birmingham takeover confirmed
November 11, 2009
Hong Kong tycoon Carson Yeung’s takeover of Premier League club Birmingham has been rubber-stamped by the stock exchange.
Yeung took charge at St Andrews last month and Wednesday’s announcement that shares in the holding company have been taken off the stock market was a formality confirming Birmingham’s new status as a private business.
A statement from the City read: “In line with the notification of the company’s delisting that was made on 14 October 2009, the Company is delisted so that its shares are no longer admitted to trading on AIM.”
The statement also confirmed Yeung, Vico Hui and Michael Wiseman as the sole directors of the company and club boards.
Yeung has pledged to invest around 40 millon pounds to help boss Alex McLeish keep Birmingham, currently 15th in the table, in the English top-flight after last season’s promotion.
LONDON (AFP)
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Zamparini: No Kjaer offers
November 11, 2009
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has confirmed that he has not been contacted by any Premier League club over the availability of Simon Kjaer.
The 20-year-old defender has gained a string of admirers as a result of some stand-out displays in Serie A following his €4million move from Danish side FC Midtjylland in July 2008.
But Zamparini insists that Palermo will be looking to do all they can to keep hold of the Dane with the likes of Inter Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City and, more recently Manchester United, being linked with Kjaer.
A €12m release clause is unlikely to be a stumbling block but Zamparini admits that he is looking to have the clause removed.
“Neither Manchester United or other teams have contacted us specifically regarding Kjaer,” he told skysports.com.
“There are only incorrect movements from his agent who is offering the player the teams most important for a personal profit.
“If one club wants Kjaer they have to pay €12m cash. But the clause is not valid for January, only for the end of the season.
“And we are trying to eliminate this clause, discussing with the player, even if – I repeat – there are some problems with his agent.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
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Luke Young retires from international football
November 11, 2009
Luke Young has announced his retirement from international football after rejecting the chance to replace Glen Johnson in the England squad for this weekend’s game with Brazil.
The Aston Villa ace, who has only recently returned to action after injury and personal problems, was offered the chance to link up with the Three Lions for the glamour game with Brazil after Liverpool’s Glen Johnson was forced to pull out of the squad due to injury.
However, Young has snubbed the overture from manager Fabio Capello and has decided to quit the international scene.
The 30-year-old has made the decision to quit England to focus on playing for Premier League outfit Villa.
The former Tottenham and Charlton defender won seven caps for England, with his last appearance coming against Argentina in 2005.
The loss of Johnson leaves England with Wes Brown as the only recognised right-back in the squad for the game with Brazil.
Abhimanyu Rajput
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‘Guti calls Sneijder about Inter’
November 11, 2009
Wesley Sneijder received a remarkable phone call before he joined the Netherlands squad for their friendly matches against Italy and Paraguay. Reportedly, Guti, his former team-mate at Real Madrid, telephoned him about the prospect of joining Inter.
The 32-year-old midfielder is out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu after falling out with Manuel Pellegrini. Guti has been ruled out of the first team after launching a tirade at Pellegrini following Real’s 4-0 defeat to Alcorcon last month in the Copa del Rey.
According to Il Corriere Dello Sport Guti rang Sneijder to ask if he could persuade Inter president Massimo Moratti to intervene on his behalf. Moratti wanted to sign the Spain international a few years ago but Inter boss Jose Mourinho is not interested in Guti.
Inter would like to reinforce their central midfield, but with a young Italian like Parma’s Daniele Galloppa, who is a lifelong fan of the Nerazzurri. Inter are apparently going to be very busy in the January transfer window mainly trying to sell Ricardo Quaresma and Amantino Mancini.
They are also looking to strengthen their attack, possibly with the signing of Lazio striker Goran Pandev, as Samuel Eto’o will be away in the spring playing for Cameroon in the African Nations Cup.
Paul Haring
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Dunne: Domenech ‘messes up’ the French team
November 11, 2009
Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne launched an attack on France coach Raymond Domenech. The Aston Villa defender doesn’t understand why Domenech ’s still at the helm of the French national team. Next Saturday, both countries will start their battle for a World Cup 2010 ticket. Dunne decided to start the mind games ahead of the first of two make-or-break games.
“Every time a tournament comes round, they have all these world-class players and then a man who seems intent on messing them up,” Dunne told The Guardian. “Over the last World Cups and European Championships, things have not run smoothly for France. Domenech’s management could be a weakness or it could be a big smokescreen.”
Domenech’s often odd behaviour – not least when he famously proposed to his girlfriend on national television after a France defeat – and his poor record mean he is far from popular at home.
That was borne out this week when he took his players to the Paris Masters tennis tournament, and was booed by the crowd once recognised.
“You can see the reaction of the people at the tennis, when they put his face on the big screen,” Dunne added. “The whole place just booed him and his own players laughed at him.”
Ireland and France lock horns in Dublin before the teams meet in Paris on Wednesday.
“We know that if we can get in front, they probably have not got the man at the top to pull them back around,” Dunne explained.
“Over the last World Cups and European Championships, they were always lucky and got through. Maybe it’s time that we put a stop to that.”
Paul Haring
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Germany goalkeeper Enke commits suicide
November 11, 2009
German international goalkeeper Robert Enke has been killed after he threw himself under a train at a level crossing, police said on Tuesday.
“There has been fatality at a level crossing at Neustadt am Rubenberge,” police spokeswoman Martina Stern told AFP.
“He threw himself under a train and died of his injuries. It was definitely suicide,” she added.
Jorg Neblung, a close friend and advisor to the six-times capped goalkeeper, also confirmed it was suicide.
“I can confirm that it was suicide,” he said.
“Robert took his own life shortly before six o’clock (1700GMT).
“A press conference in Hannover on Wednesday will reveal more details,” he added.
The 32-year-old Germany and Hannover 96 goalkeeper – who leaves a widow and a daughter of eight months who they adopted in May three years after their two-year-old daughter died of a heart illness – had been suffering from an intestinal infection.
He pulled out of the Germany squad two days ahead of their 4-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Azerbaijan in early September.
However, recently he had professed himself delighted to have returned to training last month.
“It has been a long time, almost a quarter of the season. However, once I resumed training I felt really well,” said Enke, who played his last match for the club in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Hamburg.
His death left those closest to him both personally and professionally in total shock.
“We’re in shock. I don’t know what to say,” said national manager Oliver Bierhoff, who along with national coach Joachim Lowe informed his fellow international team-mates – who are preparing for a friendly with Chile this weekend, of the tragedy.
His club president Martin Kind was left stunned.
“It is a total catastrophe. I am finding it hard to understand,” said Kind.
Later around 300 of the club’s fans and several of his club-mates gathered outside the club’s offices as a mark of respect with some laying down bouquets of flowers and lighting candles.
Enke was understudy to then first-team ‘keeper Jens Lehmann during the 2008 European championships and had been in line to fill his boots before being taken ill in September and October.
During that time his rival Rene Adler increased his chances of taking over the role in the national team who have qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals.
Enke had also at one time been linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich where the former German Under-21 international Michael Rensing had not impressed in his first season between the posts.
However, Uli Hoeness, Bayern’s general manager, had made clear they were not interested in paying the 10million euros transfer fee.
Several people had advised Enke, who had previously had spells at Benfica, Barcelona and Tenerife, to leave Hannover for a more prestigious club and one that was playing in European club competition so he would improve his chances of becoming German number one.
HANOVER, Germany (AFP)
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Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out of Portugal WC play-offs
November 11, 2009
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is officially ruled out the Portugal world cup play-off’s after further examination in Lisbon revealed him unfit to play due to his ankle injury.
Ronaldo, 24, had been called up by Portugal to play in next week’s World Cup play-offs against Bosnia, despite his club, Real Madrid, insisting that he was injured.
Real were upset that Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz had named the £80million winger in his squad for the double-header against Bosnia-Herzegovina as Ronaldo had not played for them since September with an ankle injury which he aggravated in the last round of international games.
However, Ronaldo travelled to Lisbon on Tuesday to undergo tests with the Portugal medical team, who subsequently ruled the player out of the tie.
Portugal’s football federation said on its official website, “After clinical evaluation and imaging, it was concluded that the player is not physically able to take part with the national team for these games.”
Portugal’s coach, Carlos Queiroz, defending his decision to ask Ronaldo to return to Portugal for assessment said, “Based on the rules and principles governing clubs and associations, we have put Cristiano in the squad.”
“Cristiano and everyone will be observed. Our medical team are competent and responsible, and you will see what happens. I do not understand the nervousness in some sectors. It is a decision that is non-negotiable, unavoidable, a decision that protects the interests of the player.
But this fact cannot compel me to put any club below or above the others. All clubs and players deserve equal treatment.”
Portugal were drawn to play Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-off with the first leg to be played in Leiria on Saturday.
Anurada Bhat
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