Copy of the Auditor’s Report

Based on the final results of our audit we issued the following unqualified auditor’s report dated February 23, 2024:

“Independent Auditor’s Report

To adidas AG, Herzogenaurach

Report on the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements and of the Group Management

Audit Opinions

We have audited the consolidated financial statements of adidas AG, Herzogenaurach, and its subsidiaries (the Group), which comprise the consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 December 2023, and the consolidated statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement of profit or loss, consolidated statement of changes in equity and consolidated statement of cash flows for the financial year from 1 January to 31 December 2023, and notes to the consolidated financial statements, including material accounting policy information. In addition, we have audited the group management report of adidas AG, which is combined with the Company’s management report, for the financial year from 1 January to 31 December 2023. In accordance with the German legal requirements, we have not audited the content of those parts of the group management report listed in the “Other Information” section of our auditor’s report.

In our opinion, on the basis of the knowledge obtained in the audit,

• the accompanying consolidated financial statements comply, in all material respects, with the IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant to § [Article] 315e Abs. [paragraph] 1 HGB [Handelsgesetzbuch: German Commercial Code] and, in compliance with these requirements, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, and financial position of the Group as at 31 December 2023, and of its financial performance for the financial year from 1 January to 31 December 2023, and
• the accompanying group management report as a whole provides an appropriate view of the Group’s position. In all material respects, this group management report is consistent with the consolidated financial statements, complies with German legal requirements and appropriately presents the opportunities and risks of future development. Our audit opinion on the group management report does not cover the content of those parts of the group management report listed in the “Other Information” section of our auditor’s report.

Pursuant to § [Article] 322 Abs. 3 Satz [sentence] 1 HGB [Handelsgesetzbuch: German Commercial Code], we declare that our audit has not led to any reservations relating to the legal compliance of the consolidated financial statements and of the group management report.

Basis for the Audit Opinions

We conducted our audit of the consolidated financial statements and of the group management report in accordance with § 317 HGB and the EU Audit Regulation (No. 537/2014, referred to subsequently as “EU Audit Regulation”) in compliance with German Generally Accepted Standards for Financial Statement Audits promulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer [Institute of Public Auditors in Germany] (IDW). We performed the audit of the consolidated financial statements in supplementary compliance with the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). Our responsibilities under those requirements, principles and standards are further described in the “Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements and of the Group Management Report“ section of our auditor’s report. We are independent of the group entities in accordance with the requirements of European law and German commercial and professional law, and we have fulfilled our other German professional responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. In addition, in accordance with Article 10 (2) point (f) of the EU Audit Regulation, we declare that we have not provided non-audit services prohibited under Article 5 (1) of the EU Audit Regulation. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the group management report.

Key Audit Matters in the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements for the financial year from 1 January to 31 December 2023. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our audit opinion thereon; we do not provide a separate audit opinion on these matters.

In our view, the matters of most significance in our audit were as follows:

1. Recoverability of inventories

2. Recognition of revenue, taking into account expected returns

Our presentation of these key audit matters has been structured in each case as follows:

1. Matter and issue
2. Audit approach and findings
3. Reference to further information

Hereinafter we present the key audit matters:

1. Recoverability of inventories

1. In the Company’s consolidated statement of financial position, inventories amounting to EUR 4,525 million (25% of total assets) are reported.
   
   Inventories are initially recognized at cost, taking into account directly attributable incidental acquisition costs and cost reductions. The carrying amount of recognized inventories must be reduced if the inventories are damaged or (partially) obsolete and the expected net realizable values are less than the costs.
   
   At the balance sheet date, the costs are compared against the net realizable values, which are determined by deducting the directly attributable selling costs to be incurred prior to sale of the inventories from the sales proceeds expected to be generated.
   
   Net realizable values are calculated based on discretionary planning assumptions as to the sales proceeds realizable in the ordinary course of business less necessary selling costs, which are derived on the basis of historical observable data. In particular, the age (seasonality) of the inventories and the selected sales channel to be used in future sales are significant. The impairment test resulted in a write-down on inventories as of the balance sheet date amounting to EUR 317 million in total.
   
   The outcome of this valuation is dependent to a large extent on the estimates made by the executive directors with respect to the inputs for the future net realizable values and other factors having an influence on value, and is therefore subject to considerable uncertainty. Against this background and due to the complex nature of the valuation, this matter was of particular significance in the context of our audit.
   
   
2. As part of our audit, we analyzed among other things the impairment testing process and assessed identified controls with respect to implementation, appropriateness and operating effectiveness. Furthermore, we evaluated the key inputs used to calculate net realizable values based on historical data and our understanding of the business. We verified the mathematical accuracy of the calculation logic used in the impairment test.
   
   We were able to satisfy ourselves that the estimates and assumptions made by the executive directors in connection with the appropriate measurement of inventories were sufficiently substantiated and documented.
   
   
3. The Company’s disclosures relating to the accounting policies applied with respect to the "inventories" line item are contained in section 2 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements "Summary of significant accounting policies". In addition, the disclosures on "inventories" are contained in section 7, "Inventories".

2. Recognition of revenue, taking into account expected returns

1. In the Company’s consolidated financial statements, revenues amounting to EUR 21,427 million are reported.
   
   Revenue is recognized from the sale of goods in the "Wholesale", "E-commerce" and "Own retail" sales channels if the Company satisfies a performance obligation by transferring a specified asset to a customer. An asset is deemed to have been transferred if the customer obtains control of that asset. Revenue is recognized in the amount to which the Company has a claim when the power to control an asset is transferred.
   
   Customers of the Company have the option, subject to certain conditions, of exchanging or returning goods in exchange for a credit. The amounts regarding expected returns are estimated by the executive directors based on experiences with regard to historic return rates and accrued for a return provision against revenues.
   
   The asset embodying the right to receive goods returned by the customer is measured at the carrying amount of the respective inventories less settlement costs.
   
   The revenues have a significant influence on the Group’s net profit or loss for the year and represent one of the most significant performance indicators for adidas. Due to the large transaction volume with respect to the sale of merchandise in three different sales channels and the potential risk in general of notional revenues and the uncertainty with regard to estimates of expected returns, in our view the existence and accrual of revenues from the sale of merchandise were of particular significance in the context of our audit.
   
   
2. With respect to the audit of the existence and accrual of revenue, we first assessed the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of internal controls, including the functioning of IT-based controls with respect to outgoing goods and the acceptance of goods, invoices and the payment settlement. In addition, we examined the presentation of revenue recognition in the Group-wide accounting policy to assess whether it complied with IFRS 15.
   
   Furthermore, in the context of substantive audit procedures, we obtained evidence (in particular delivery certificates, invoices and receipts of payments) of the existence and accrual of revenue in order to assess whether the recognized and accrues revenues were based on a corresponding shipment or transfer of goods. In addition, we evaluated the mathematical correctness of the executive directors’ calculation of expected returns. We compared the expected returns against historical, sales channel-specific return rates and the returned merchandise recorded in the financial accounting records.
   
   We were able to satisfy ourselves that the estimates and assumptions made by the executive directors in connection with the appropriate accounting treatment of the revenue were sufficiently substantiated and documented.
   
   
3. The Company’s disclosures relating to the accounting policies applied with respect to the recognition of revenue from merchandise are contained in section 2 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements "Summary of significant accounting policies".

Other Information

The executive directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the following non-audited parts of the group management report:

• non-financial statement to comply with §§ 289b to 289e HGB and with §§ 315b to 315c HGB included in different places of the group management report
• the section “Performance KPIs to track product availability and on-time in-full delivery” of the group management report
• the disclosures marked as unaudited in section “Description of the main features of the internal control and risk management system process pursuant to § 315 section 4 German Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch – HGB)” of the group management report

The other information comprises further

• the statement on corporate governance pursuant to § 289f HGB and § 315d HGB
• all remaining parts of the annual report – excluding cross-references to external information – with the exception of the audited consolidated financial statements, the audited group management report and our auditor’s report

Our audit opinions on the annual financial statements and on the management report do not cover the other information, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion or any other form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit, our responsibility is to read the other information mentioned above and, in so doing, to consider whether the other information

• is materially inconsistent with the annual financial statements, with the management report disclosures audited in terms of content or with our knowledge obtained in the audit, or
• otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

Responsibilities of the Executive Directors and the Supervisory Board for the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group Management Report

The executive directors are responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements that comply, in all material respects, with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant to § 315e Abs. 1 HGB and that the consolidated financial statements, in compliance with these requirements, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position, and financial performance of the Group. In addition, the executive directors are responsible for such internal control as they have determined necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud (i.e., fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets) or error.

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the executive directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. They also have the responsibility for disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern. In addition, they are responsible for financial reporting based on the going concern basis of accounting unless there is an intention to liquidate the Group or to cease operations, or there is no realistic alternative but to do so.

Furthermore, the executive directors are responsible for the preparation of the group management report that, as a whole, provides an appropriate view of the Group’s position and is, in all material respects, consistent with the consolidated financial statements, complies with German legal requirements, and appropriately presents the opportunities and risks of future development. In addition, the executive directors are responsible for such arrangements and measures (systems) as they have considered necessary to enable the preparation of a group management report that is in accordance with the applicable German legal requirements, and to be able to provide sufficient appropriate evidence for the assertions in the group management report.

The supervisory board is responsible for overseeing the Group’s financial reporting process for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements and of the group management report.

Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements and of the Group Management Report

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and whether the group management report as a whole provides an appropriate view of the Group’s position and, in all material respects, is consistent with the consolidated financial statements and the knowledge obtained in the audit, complies with the German legal requirements and appropriately presents the opportunities and risks of future development, as well as to issue an auditor’s report that includes our audit opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the group management report.

Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with § 317 HGB and the EU Audit Regulation and in compliance with German Generally Accepted Standards for Financial Statement Audits promulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer (IDW) and supplementary compliance with the ISAs will always detect a material misstatement. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements and this group management report.

We exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements and of the group management report, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinions. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit of the consolidated financial statements and of arrangements and measures (systems) relevant to the audit of the group management report in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an audit opinion on the effectiveness of these systems.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used by the executive directors and the reasonableness of estimates made by the executive directors and related disclosures.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the executive directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in the auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the consolidated financial statements and in the group management report or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our respective audit opinions. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Group to cease to be able to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the consolidated financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the consolidated financial statements present the underlying transactions and events in a manner that the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and financial performance of the Group in compliance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant to § 315e Abs. 1 HGB.
• Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entities or business activities within the Group to express audit opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the group management report. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and performance of the group audit. We remain solely responsible for our audit opinions.
• Evaluate the consistency of the group management report with the consolidated financial statements, its conformity with German law, and the view of the Group’s position it provides.
• Perform audit procedures on the prospective information presented by the executive directors in the group management report. On the basis of sufficient appropriate audit evidence we evaluate, in particular, the significant assumptions used by the executive directors as a basis for the prospective information, and evaluate the proper derivation of the prospective information from these assumptions. We do not express a separate audit opinion on the prospective information and on the assumptions used as a basis. There is a substantial unavoidable risk that future events will differ materially from the prospective information.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with the relevant independence requirements, and communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, actions taken to eliminate threats or safeguards applied.

From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the consolidated financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter.

Other legal and regulatory requirements

Report on the Assurance on the Electronic Rendering of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group Management Report Prepared for Publication Purposes in Accordance with § 317 Abs. 3a HGB

Assurance Opinion

We have performed assurance work in accordance with § 317 Abs. 3a HGB to obtain reasonable assurance as to whether the rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the group management report (hereinafter the “ESEF documents”) contained in the electronic file adidasag-2023-12-31-de.zip (SHA256 hash value: f7cfad6e3dd2bf8e66077ce9a17bddfa0b222f09b8b59748606b8c82dc7777da) and prepared for publication purposes complies in all material respects with the requirements of § 328 Abs. 1 HGB for the electronic reporting format (“ESEF format”). In accordance with German legal requirements, this assurance work extends only to the conversion of the information contained in the consolidated financial statements and the group management report into the ESEF format and therefore relates neither to the information contained within these renderings nor to any other information contained in the electronic file identified above.

In our opinion, the rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the group management report contained in the electronic file identified above and prepared for publication purposes complies in all material respects with the requirements of § 328 Abs. 1 HGB for the electronic reporting format. Beyond this assurance opinion and our audit opinion on the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the accompanying group management report for the financial year from 1 January to 31 December 2023 contained in the "Report on the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements and on the Group Management Report" above, we do not express any assurance opinion on the information contained within these renderings or on the other information contained in the electronic file identified above.

Basis for the Assurance Opinion

We conducted our assurance work on the rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the group management report contained in the electronic file identified above in accordance with § 317 Abs. 3a HGB and the IDW Assurance Standard: Assurance Work on the Electronic Rendering, of Financial Statements and Management Reports, Prepared for Publication Purposes in Accordance with § 317 Abs. 3a HGB (IDW AsS 410 (06.2022)) and the International Standard on Assurance Engagements 3000 (Revised). Our responsibility in accordance therewith is further described in the "Group Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Assurance Work on the ESEF Documents" section. Our audit firm applies the IDW Standard on Quality Management: Requirements for Quality Management in the Audit Firm (IDW QMS 1 (09.2022)).

Responsibilities of the Executive Directors and the Supervisory Board for the ESEF Documents

The executive directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation of the ESEF documents including the electronic rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the group management report in accordance with § 328 Abs. 1 Satz 4 Nr. [number] 1 HGB and for the tagging of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with § 328 Abs. 1 Satz 4 Nr. 2 HGB.

In addition, the executive directors of the Company are responsible for such internal control as they have considered necessary to enable the preparation of ESEF documents that are free from material non-compliance with the requirements of § 328 Abs. 1 HGB for the electronic reporting format, whether due to fraud or error.

The supervisory board is responsible for overseeing the process for preparing the ESEF documents as part of the financial reporting process.

Group Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Assurance Work on the ESEF Documents

Our objective is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the ESEF documents are free from material non-compliance with the requirements of § 328 Abs. 1 HGB, whether due to fraud or error. We exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the assurance work. We also

• Identify and assess the risks of material non-compliance with the requirements of § 328 Abs. 1 HGB, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform assurance procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain assurance evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our assurance opinion.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the assurance work on the ESEF documents in order to design assurance procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an assurance opinion on the effectiveness of these controls.
• Evaluate the technical validity of the ESEF documents, i.e., whether the electronic file containing the ESEF documents meets the requirements of the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/815 in the version in force at the date of the consolidated financial statements on the technical specification for this electronic file.
• Evaluate whether the ESEF documents provide an XHTML rendering with content equivalent to the audited consolidated financial statements and to the audited group management report.
• Evaluate whether the tagging of the ESEF documents with Inline XBRL technology (iXBRL) in accordance with the requirements of Articles 4 and 6 of the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/815, in the version in force at the date of the consolidated financial statements, enables an appropriate and complete machine-readable XBRL copy of the XHTML rendering.

Further Information pursuant to Article 10 of the EU Audit Regulation

We were elected as group auditor by the annual general meeting on 12 May 2022. We were engaged by the supervisory board on 14 December 2023. We have been the group auditor of the adidas AG, Herzogenaurach, without interruption since the financial year 2023.

We declare that the audit opinions expressed in this auditor’s report are consistent with the additional report to the audit committee pursuant to Article 11 of the EU Audit Regulation (long-form audit report).

Reference to an other matter – Use of the Auditor’s Report

Our auditor’s report must always be read together with the audited consolidated financial statements and the audited group management report as well as the assured ESEF documents. The consolidated financial statements and the group management report converted to the ESEF format – including the versions to be filed in the company register – are merely electronic renderings of the audited consolidated financial statements and the audited group management report and do not take their place. In particular, the “Report on the Assurance on the Electronic Rendering of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group Management Report Prepared for Publication Purposes in Accordance with § 317 Abs. 3a HGB” and our assurance opinion contained therein are to be used solely together with the assured ESEF documents made available in electronic form.

German Public Auditor responsible for the engagement

The German Public Auditor responsible for the engagement is Christian Landau.“

Nuremberg, February 23, 2024

PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft