Berlin World Cup official shoots himself in head

[muriel_volestrangler]

BERLIN, July 11 (Reuters) - Berlin's top World Cup official shot himself in the head hours after the tournament ended on Sunday night but survived his apparent suicide attempt, a police spokesman said on Tuesday.

Emergency services found the man, who was the Berlin local government's representative on the World Cup organising committee, at his house in the suburbs of Berlin early on Monday.

The Berliner Zeitung daily reported that the man, a 65-year-old widower called Juergen Kiessling, had left two suicide notes, one for his daughter and one for his family.

Citing a police source, the newspaper said Kiessling had "political" problems. German media said his condition remained life-threatening.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=2006-07-11T111348Z_01_L11683703_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-SOCCER-WORLD-SUICIDE.XML

Bizarre - he's just been a major part of what was generally agreed as an excellently organised World Cup, with plaudits for how well the Germans put it on. What are "political" problems?

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kellanved]

2. Berlin, means the senate of the city/state of Berlin

So not the federal level.

Alas, it is a very sad event. The organization in Berlin and the fan mile - his brainchild - was awesome. Nobody has any clue regarding why he did it.

[Nihil]

3. "He shoots .... he misses!"

:evilgrin:

[LifeDuringWartime]

6. yeah, because

suicide is just so damn funny

:sarcasm:

[Eugene]

4. BBC: 'Suicide' of World Cup official

Last Updated: Thursday, 13 July 2006, 15:27 GMT 16:27 UK

'Suicide' of World Cup official

Berlin's top World Cup official has died four days after shooting himself in the head
just hours after the football tournament ended.

Juergen Kiessling, 65, was rushed to hospital from his house in Reinickendorf, a suburb
of Berlin, after a neighbour heard the shot.

<snip>

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5177440.stm

[ohiosmith]

5. I'd shoot myself too if I had to watch that much soccer.

[gula]

7. Maybe he was just too depressed because

the Italian thug didn't get red-carded

[Bush_MUST_Go]

8. Maybe he met bush? That's got to be very depressing.