Eight out of eight and out for psychic octopus Paul
A British born octopus is to retire after achieving a hundred per cent success rate to correctly predict the results of all seven of Germany’s World Cup matches, and that Spain would win.
Paul, the two-year-old octopus had correctly foreseen that Germany would beat Australia and Ghana in the tournament’s opening stages, but suffer a shock defeat by Serbia.
The mollusc then suggested Joachim Low’s side would be victorious over England and Argentina, before controversially calling Spain as the winner of the side’s semi finals clash.
However he redeemed himself in the eyes of German fans by predicting their victory over Uruguay in Saturday’s third-fourth place play-off.
He also correctly said Spain would beat Holland in the final.
To celebrate the achievement, Paul was presented with his own replica world cup trophy, as it was announced his retirement from the prediction business.
“We’ve had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his old job – making children smile,” Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig said.
He has nine brains – one in his body and one in each of his tentacles – so he likes to play games and have challenges. Sea Life spokeswoman Anna Pothmann
Before each match, staff at the Sea Life Aquarium at Oberhausen, western Germany, had offered Paul two clear boxes containing a mussel.
Each container would have a flag painted on the lid – and whichever one the octopus opened would be declared his prediction for the forthcoming match.
Paul’s accurate prediction rate meant he became a star of the internet.
His predictions were broadcast live on news channels across the world.
Bookmakers William Hill suggested anyone putting a £10 accumulator bet on the octopus’ suggestions from the start of the tournament would have won £3000.
Some German fans had blamed him for their semi-finals defeat against Spain, with the Berliner Kurier newspaper demanding: “throw him in the frying pan”.
It led to the Spanish prime minister Jose Zapatero to jokingly offer him asylum.
“We had some e-mails and calls after that, but no threats,” said the Sea Life spokeswoman, Anna Pothmann.
“We didn’t take it seriously. It like a bit of fun for him and for us. He has nine brains – one in his body and one in each of his tentacles – so he likes to play games and have challenges.”
Such threats do not seem to have put off people eager to see what has probably now become the world’s most famous football analyst.
We’ve had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his old job – making children smile. Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig
Some face a wait of up to a fifty minutes to see Paul at home in his tank.
The octopus has had a fine track record predicting Germany’s performance in international football tournaments.
In 2008, he correctly suggesting the side would reach the finals of Euro 2008, before wrongly suggesting Germany would beat Spain in the final.