‘Psychic octopus’ to predict final - if not tired
We do not want to overburden him: spokesperson
BERLIN - Paul the "psychic" octopus, who has become a global star after correctly forecasting all six of Germany's World Cup games, will predict the final, but only if his hefty workload has not exhausted him.
The mollusc medium, who stunned Germany by tipping Spain in the semi-final - spot on as it turned out, will on Friday make his prediction for the third-place Germany match with Uruguay, a spokesman for his aquarium told AFP.
Paul's handlers will follow the now familiar routine. Two boxes will be lowered into his tank, each containing a tasty morsel of food and the flags of the two opposing teams.
Whichever box Paul wrenches open is adjudged to be the winner.
Afterwards, Paul will be offered boxes with Spanish and Dutch flags, the two teams in Sunday's showcase final, but only if he is deemed not too tired and still hungry, the spokesman said.
"We do not want to overburden him," the spokesman said.
Whichever box Paul wrenches open is adjudged to be the winner.
Afterwards, Paul will be offered boxes with Spanish and Dutch flags, the two teams in Sunday's showcase final, but only if he is deemed not too tired and still hungry, the spokesman said.
"We do not want to overburden him," the spokesman said.
The eight-legged oracle forecast German wins over Australia, Argentina, England and Ghana. Proving he is not just attracted to the German flag, he also correctly predicted losses to Serbia and Spain, the latter live on national TV.
But as many World Cup stars have discovered in South Africa, the footballing gods can quickly snatch fame and favour away.
Bitterness at Germany's 1-0 defeat to Spain turned to anger with some sections of the 350,000-strong crowd in Berlin insulting both Paul and his mother.
Even crueller, some fans have begun posting recipes on the Internet, believing that Paul's reward for his clairvoyant powers should be a meeting with the barbecue or the paella pot.
Psychic octopus right yet again
'Octopus strikes again' is not a headline that most people would relish reading, but Spain fans are delighted
'Psychic' cephalopod Paul the Octopus has become a sensation in Germany after correctly predicting all of Joachim Loew's side's SA 2010 results.
The pre-match predictions have seen the eight-limbed oracle indentify the winning team with 100% hit-rate, including Germany's defeat to Serbia in Group D.
His keepers at the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, were playing down his latest tip, however, when plucky Paul plumped for a Spain win in Durban.
Yet, amazingly, the clairvoyant creature was proved right for a sixth time in succession, much to local fans annoyance.
Carles Puyol's 73rd minute header booked a World Cup final place for Vicente del Bosque's side, but may have condemned Paul to a local lunch menu, as German hopes were dashed.
Angry Germany fans have already begun blaming the mighty mollusc for their semi-final demise, and have even suggested that "Paul should be fried, barbecued or turned into a seafood salad or paella," according to newspaper reports.
For his part, Paul is refusing to keep a low profile and will swim into action once again to predict the results of both the third-place play-off and the final itself.
Bookmakers beware!
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