Long-time “kicker” boss: Rainer Holzschuh is dead

Longstanding “kicker” boss
Rainer Holzschuh is dead

Rainer Holzschuh has been one of the most famous personalities in German sports journalism for decades. Holzschuh works as press spokesman for the DFB, but his years as editor-in-chief of “Kicker” are more formative. Holzschuh died that night at the age of 77.

German sports journalism is losing one of its formative personalities: As the “Kicker” announced at noon, the long-time editor-in-chief and publisher Rainer Holzschuh died that night at the age of 77. “Rainer Holzschuh has shaped the sports media landscape for decades as the face of the” kicker “. His work will remain visible for a long time to come,” said Bärbel Schnell, the manager of the Olympia Verlag, in praise of the sports journalist.

In 1971 Holzschuh took over the management of the West editorial team at “Kicker”, and later he was responsible for the North editorial team. After a five-year interlude as press spokesman for the German Football Association, he returned to the “kicker” team in 1988 as the successor to long-time editor-in-chief Karl-Heinz Heimann. Holzschuh was the magazine’s editor from 2010 to December 31, 2020. Just a few weeks ago, Holzschuh wanted to award Robert Lewandowski the “Golden Shoe” for the most successful goalscorer in Europe, wrote the “Kicker” in its message, but his illness prevented participation in the event in Munich.

“Enjoyed every year, every month”

Among other things, European Sports Media (ESM) was created under the leadership of Holzschuhs, an amalgamation of Europe’s leading sports magazines, which includes not only “Kicker”, titles such as “La Gazzetta dello Sport” from Italy and the Spanish “Marca”. In 2004 Holzschuh was one of the co-founders of the German Academy for Football Culture, which annually awards the Walther Bensemann Prize in memory of the “Kicker” founder. Holzschuh was the jury chairman for years. As a jury member, he was also involved in the selection of the “Sports Photo of the Year”, has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the DFB Cultural Foundation since 2001 and, since 2016, a member of the board and jury chairman of the “German Football Ambassador” association.

At the end of 2020, Holzschuh had given up his work as a publisher. “A lifelong dream has come true for me through the long work at the ‘kicker'”, said Holzschuh as he parted. “I enjoyed every year, every month and always tried to pass on the values ​​of the ‘kicker’ to our readers in the spirit of Walther Bensemann and Karl-Heinz Heimann. I am just as convinced of its future as I was deeply impressed by the past. ”

After Holzschuhs resigned, the position of editor at “Kicker” had not been filled. Fast acknowledged Holzschuh’s great merits: “Rainer Holzschuh played a key role in the great success of the ‘Kicker’ brand. For many years he was considered the face of ‘Kicker’, was a serious interviewee on all topics related to football and – as an expertly networked connoisseur the scene – a welcome and competent guest on radio and TV. We owe him a lot. ”

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