Herbert Hainer said late on Wednesday the speculation was "pure nonsense," adding that nobody had approached Adidas.
MUNICH (Reuters) - Germany's Adidas <ADSG.DE> is not a takeover target, its chief executive said, following recent market talk that U.S. rival Nike <NKE.N> and Japanese sports shoe maker Asics <7936.T> were interested in the company.
Herbert Hainer said late on Wednesday the speculation was "pure nonsense," adding that nobody had approached Adidas.
He said anti-trust agencies would never approve a merger with the rivals because they would control nearly 80 percent of the world's market or even more in certain parts.
Hainer also said an industry outsider was unlikely to buy Adidas because of a lack of cost synergies, while Nike, the industry's number one, would not be allowed to do so.
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