Herbert Hainer, chief executive of the Adidas Group, said at a news agency briefing in Herzogenaurach earlier this month that he would stay in his job until the end of his contract in March 2017, and shared his upbeat mood about next year's prospects for the company.

The group's board said in February that it had started a search to replace Hainer, who came under increasing pressure last year due to the downturn at the company's golf equipment business and its troubles in Russia – along with a loss in market share against Nike, chiefly caused by the Adidas group's weakness in the U.S.

But the pressure has been easing due to improvements in the U.S. and an increase of about 60 percent in the group's share price so far this year – aided by substantial share buybacks as well as buoyant sales for the Adidas brand. Hainer said the board was conducting its search thoroughly and the exact timing of the switch should be discussed once it picks a suitable chief executive.

The company's order books are fuller than at any time since he took charge formally in 2001, he added. He expressed optimism about the situation in North America, where Adidas raised its marketing spend by 50 percent in the first nine months of this year, signing many new sponsorship contracts. He reiterated predictions that the Adidas brand's sales would expand at double-digit rate in North America in 2016.

The briefing came a few days after Reuters reported that two shareholders of the Adidas group were forming a partnership to drive changes at several European companies. They are the Egyptian investor Nassef Sawiris, who is said to control shares and options amounting to about 7.7 percent of the Adidas group's voting rights; and Southeastern Asset Management (SAM), the investment firm founded by Mason Hawkins, which is listed by the Adidas group as owning a stake of about 3 percent.

They have reportedly formed a separate entity, called Southeastern Concentrated Value (SCV), which combines their personal wealth and cash from other investors. Reuters reported that the new entity plans to build up stakes in up to ten European companies it deems to be underperforming, pushing for boardroom changes and influencing strategies.

However, it appears that SCV only owns a stake in Sika Group, a Swiss specialty chemicals company, for the moment. The Adidas group points out that the investment firms of Sawiris and SAM are listed as separate shareholders. Hainer added that he has been holding regular meetings with investors and that they appeared satisfied with their investment in the Adidas Group. SAM, which describes itself as an engaged shareholder, declined to comment.