Who will win the finals? Just ask Paul

It was heartbreak for Germany fans as their team bowed out of the World Cup semi-finals at the hands of Spain on Wednesday night.

However, the Germans should have seen it coming, courtesy of an octopus named Paul. The two-year-old common octopus has a history of correctly predicting the results of major international matches involving Germany.

Correct prediction

Paul had predicted that the German side would lose to Spain. And they did. That was Paul’s fifth straight correct prediction after it chose the winner in each of Germany’s six matches including the loss to Serbia during the group phase.

And no, Paul doesn’t talk. Instead, before the matches, it is presented with food in two identical containers. This time one of the containers was marked with the flag of Germany and the other marked with the flag of Spain.

In each instance, Paul’s choice of food is interpreted as his predicted victor. “We know that all octopus have nine brains so we know he has exceptional powers,” his keeper, Oliver Walenciak, is quoted on www.telegraph.co.uk as saying.

Paul was hatched at the Sea Life Park in England, but currently resides at the Sea Life Aquarium in Germany. His talent was first spotted during the Euro 2008 finals, when he successfully picked the winner for each of Germany’s games until the final — also against Spain. Fans in England are regretting allowing the octopus to be taken to Germany as they consider it English.

In fact, the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper branded Paul a traitor when it predicted that England would lose to their rivals in the second round match. “Traitor! Paul the Oracle Octopus predicts Germany will beat England”, read the Daily Mail headline on June 25, 2010.

Paul has become so famous that the “prediction ceremony” was broadcast live on five major TV channels in Europe, among them German news channel n-tv. It was watched by millions of people. It is also a big hit on self-broadcast website Youtube.

Quarter final

Paul’s unwavering accuracy this year has even seen him become a target of furious Argentinian fans, who blamed him for their side’s quarter final defeat against Germany, and threatened to eat him. “There are always people who want to eat our octopus but he is not shy and we are here to protect him as well. He will survive,” said his keeper Walenciak.

He added: “In the European Cup he got one game wrong. It was the final between Germany and Spain and he picked Germany which was wrong and this time he has picked Spain so we are thinking he must be wrong again.”

If you are rooting for Spain to win the World Cup against Holland on Sunday, you better wait for Paul the Octopus to take his pick on Friday. Already there is a lot of interest on the Internet and anxiety among fans of the two teams.

Maybe the ‘Yes’ and the ‘No’ campaign with regard to the referendum in Kenya should enlist the services of the famous octopus so that we know who will win — and reduce the heightened tension in Kenya.

— Additional reports by agencies