adidas CEO Herbert Hainer created waves this week when he said the company is “not afraid” of a private equity takeover in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt. In the interview, Hainer went on to wonder whether rumors along the lines of a Nike take over came from someone paid to create them and that in the specific case of Nike, he doubted such a deal would pass muster in any trust hearing.
Hainer also said that should Nike manage to steal away the license for kits for the German national soccer team, the financial damage would be limited as the company sells just as many Mexican jerseys and German.
Lookinng to 2008, Hainer expects adidas to see a record year according to the interview due to the Olympics in China and the European Championships in soccer that will be held in Austria and Switzerland.