Adidas bets on Euro 2008 to boost sales - paper

FRANKFURT, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Germany's Adidas (ADSG.DE) is betting on the European championship soccer tournament next year to boost sales, its chief executive told a Swiss newspaper.

In 2006, thanks to the World Cup soccer championship which took place in Germany, Adidas sold such items ranging from footballs to football shirts for fans worth more than 1.2 billion euros ($1.75 billion), more than ever before.

"We want to exceed that result in 2008," Herbert Hainer told the NZZ am Sonntag.

The Euro 2008 next year is being held in Austria and Switzerland.

(Reporting by Mantik Kusjanto; Editing by Paul Bolding)

((Email: mantik.kusjanto@reuters.com; +49 69 7565 1203; Reuters Messaging: mantik.kusjanto.reuters.com@reuters.net))

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