Adidas AG. said it will 'significantly' exceed its full-year target of posting at least 1.2 billion euros ($1.8 bn) in soccer-related sales this year, helped by the European soccer championship currently being held in Switzerland and Austria.



“We will be about 50 percent above our sales level in 2004, when the championship was held in Portugal,” chief executive Herbert Hainer told journalists at a news conference.



Adidas in 2004 posted soccer-related sales of about 800 million euros ($1.2 bn), which rose to 1.2 billion euros in 2006, when the World Cup soccer tournament was held in Germany, Adidas' home country.



Hainer affirmed earlier statements saying the company has already reached some 80 percent of its targeted full-year soccer-related sales for this year.



The German sporting goods giant has already reached its goal of selling 1 million German national soccer team jerseys during the championship, which is pitting 16 national teams against each other.



The company, which is equipping players from Germany, Spain, France, Greece and Romania with jerseys and soccer boots, is also still set to reach its aim of selling a total of 1.5 million national soccer team jerseys.



“And if Spain continues to play as it has, it may be even more,” Hainer said.



Spain has so far beaten both Russia and Sweden in the tournament and is scheduled to face Greece's national team on Wednesday. Hainer said he expects to see Spain and Germany compete in the semi final stage next week.