Review - A Life Too Short

[cdtcolin]

A Life Too Short – The Tragedy Of Robert Enke by Ronald Reng
To the world he was the confident first choice goalkeeper for Germany and a happy husband and father but crippling depression meant he struggled to get out of bed each day. A nation and the football world were shocked when he threw himself under a train but friend, journalist, and former goalie himself, Ronald Reng had already glimpsed the intolerable pressure he put himself under.
Being close to the family gave Ronald a special insight when writing this book but it also carried a duty to shine a light on a much misunderstood illness and the sports culture that made it near impossible to discuss openly. That duty is delivered with compassion and respect without shying away from the difficult questions that still need asking.
Along the way he reveals the drive and ambition that made Robert such an impressive player before it turned in on him and made him his own harshest judge. Many of the big football clubs he played for like Benfica and Barcelona don’t survive the close scrutiny well, business and sport are shown as a ruthless combination. Thankfully the friendships and close bonds with team mates and opponents provide more uplifting moments and offer hope for other sufferers.
As a football fanatic it made me realise that we have to take our share of the blame for heaping pressure on our heroes. Reng opened up the dressing room and training pitch rituals expertly, Enke’s time at my beloved CD Tenerife was happily during one of his clearer spells. You don’t need to be a sports fan to appreciate this study of one mans fight to balance his life of extreme emotions. Very powerful and thought provoking.

From Cdtcolin New member