Hamburg - Germany's national team will attend a memorial service on Sunday for goalkeeper Robert Enke in Hanover before an international next week against Ivory Coast, the German football federation DFB said Thursday.

The DFB called off Saturday's friendly international against Chile following Enke's suicide on Tuesday evening. The match against Ivory Coast in Gelsenkirchen next Wednesday will go ahead as planned.

Captain Michael Ballack, coach Joachim Loew, DFB president Theo Zwanziger and other football officials attended a church service for Enke in Hanover on Wednesday evening. Around
35,000 people took part in a procession in the city for the Hanover keeper and club captain.

Enke, 32, who had been treated for depression since 2003, was killed by a train on a level crossing near his home Tuesday evening.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend the commemorative service for Enke in Hanover's AWD Arena on Sunday. A funeral, at which family and friends will attend, will be held near his home.

The German Football League DFL said Thursday it would be examining how to deal with the subject of depression in professional football.

Although several clubs have taken steps to deal with the issue, the employment of a psychologist is not a requirement of licensing regulations, DFL chief executive Holger Hieronymus told German Press Agency dpa.

"Depression should not be a taboo subject," he said.

"Together with the professional footballers' association and with regard to the commission on sports medicine of the DFB (German football federation) we have to consider how we can take a more open approach on the subject."

Germany's squad will begin preparations in Dusseldorf on Sunday for Wednesday's match against Ivory Coast after all the players have attended the service for Enke.

The decision to call off Saturday's match against Chile had been taken following consultations with the players who made it clear they were in no position to play.

"They are not ice-cold millionaires who have become internationals," DFB general-secretary Wolfgang Niersbach told dpa.

"This is nothing to do with wages, status, stardom. They have lost a friend."

The players, who had been unaware of Enke's depression, were emotionally affected and "each is asking himself, did I miss something?" he added.

Although it is believed the decision to cancel Saturday's match against Chile will cost the DFB some 5 million euros (7.5 million dollars), Niersbach said the financial aspect was unimportant.

Around 37,000 tickets had been sold for the match in Cologne, but all will be refunded. The federation hopes it might still be able to arrange a friendly against Chile shortly before next year's World Cup, depending on the draw for the tournament. (dpa)