Hannover coach Andreas Bergmann was "very proud" of his team for the way they performed despite losing 2-0 at Schalke.

It was the first game for Hannover since their captain Robert Enke's suicide recently and Bergmann praised his team for their efforts on what was a clearly an emotional day.

"I am very proud of my team," he said. "We fought on the same level as Schalke for a long time and overall it was a great performance.

"It was not an easy game for Florian Fromlowitz, but he made some magnificent saves."

Twenty-three-year-old Fromlowitz was the man who took Enke's habitual place in the Hannover goal and he did all he could to save a point for Hannover.

He was finally beaten by Jefferson Farfan in the 69th minute before Jan Moravek added a second in stoppage time.

"Had it not been for Florian Fromlowitz, we would have won more convincingly," admitted Schalke manager Felix Magath.

"In the first half, Hannover were the better team, but we finally found our game in the second half and overall we deserved to win."

Arnold Bruggink inherited the captain's armband for Hannover and he admitted it was one of the toughest matches of his career, although he found words of praise for Fromlowitz.

"The minute's silence before the game was tough for us all," he said, struggling to hold back tears.

"It was not an easy game for any of us today.

"Flo played a great game and, when you consider how young he is, that was magnificent.

"He focused on football, which was not easy in his situation."

And the period of mourning is likely to go on for at least another week until after Hannover stage their first home game since last weekend's funeral inside the Niedersachsen Stadion next Saturday against Bayern Munich.