<p>German sportswear giant Adidas said Friday it was in talks with the chief of rival outfitter Puma to take the reins after the planned departure of its current CEO.</p>.<p>Adidas was in discussions with the Puma boss Bjorn Gulden "as a potential successor" to current boss Kasper Rorsted, it said in a statement.</p>.<p>Earlier in the day, Puma announced that Gulden would be stepping down at the end of the year, to be replaced by in-house hire Arne Freundt.</p>.<p>The switch of leadership at Adidas comes as the iconic kit-maker seeks to emerge from months of turbulence which have hit sales.</p>.<p>Adidas lowered its outlook for 2022 in July due in part to continuing severe coronavirus restrictions in key market China and the expected hit to sales.</p>.<p>The group also cut ties with Kanye West at the end of October after a series of anti-Semitic tweets by the rapper caused outcry.</p>.<p>Adidas ended production of the highly successful "Yeezy" line designed together with West.</p>.<p>Both Adidas and Puma are based in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, close to Nuremberg, in the southeastern region of Bavaria.</p>.<p>The twin companies were founded by two brothers. Adolf Dassler began Adidas before his brother, Rudolf, with whom he had a fierce rivalry, established Puma.</p>
<p>German sportswear giant Adidas said Friday it was in talks with the chief of rival outfitter Puma to take the reins after the planned departure of its current CEO.</p>.<p>Adidas was in discussions with the Puma boss Bjorn Gulden "as a potential successor" to current boss Kasper Rorsted, it said in a statement.</p>.<p>Earlier in the day, Puma announced that Gulden would be stepping down at the end of the year, to be replaced by in-house hire Arne Freundt.</p>.<p>The switch of leadership at Adidas comes as the iconic kit-maker seeks to emerge from months of turbulence which have hit sales.</p>.<p>Adidas lowered its outlook for 2022 in July due in part to continuing severe coronavirus restrictions in key market China and the expected hit to sales.</p>.<p>The group also cut ties with Kanye West at the end of October after a series of anti-Semitic tweets by the rapper caused outcry.</p>.<p>Adidas ended production of the highly successful "Yeezy" line designed together with West.</p>.<p>Both Adidas and Puma are based in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, close to Nuremberg, in the southeastern region of Bavaria.</p>.<p>The twin companies were founded by two brothers. Adolf Dassler began Adidas before his brother, Rudolf, with whom he had a fierce rivalry, established Puma.</p>