News of the death of Rainer Holzschuh led to an outpouring of grief from the management of Borussia Dortmund. BVB president Dr. Reinhard Rauball praised the former publisher and editor-in-chief of kicker magazine as ''an exceptional personality in sport journalism.'' The club's chief executive officer, Hans-Joachim Watzke, said: ''Rainer Holzschuh was an absolute professional with huge expertise.'' 

Rainer Holzschuh passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 77. From 1971 until the end of 2020 - with one interruption between 1983 and 1988 to serve as press officer of the German Football Association - he worked at specialist football magazine kicker, first as editorial director and later as editor-in-chief and publisher.

"Rainer Holzschuh was a journalist who observed goings-on in German football, but also Borussia Dortmund, over many decades with an intense, objective and never uncritical eye. I had a close friendship with him. He was someone you could have passionate discussions with," said Dr Reinhard Rauball.

''Rainer Holzschuh helped shape sports journalism for decades and, as the initiator of European Sports Media, also gave German football a voice internationally,'' said Hans-Joachim Watzke. On behalf of everyone at Borussia Dortmund, Rauball and Watzke declared: ''Our thoughts are with his family.''